


Out of Time

by PassionWriter



Category: Original Work, Outlander & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:27:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 39,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25346941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PassionWriter/pseuds/PassionWriter
Summary: Claire is a 20 year old, raised by her grandmother and has just discovered a family secret that will change her life and future forever.
Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser
Comments: 117
Kudos: 131





	1. Chapter 1

Claire was a woman who longed for adventure, but up until this point, her life had been stagnant. She had traveled all over the country with her grandparents as a small child, but most of that was too long ago to even remember. Her grandmother had shown her pictures of the three of them, Claire, her grandmother, and her late grandfather at various places across the country. They had visited the four corners where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah came together. There were pictures of them standing in front of the Golden gate bridge in San Francisco. There was a photo of Claire at the Nasa rocket pad when she was just a toddler. And one on top of the Sears Tower in Chicago. But even after all that adventure as a young child, she felt stuck in her everyday life, going to work, coming home, sleeping, and repeating. Her life was unfulfilling and she felt restless and clueless about how to remedy that. 

She had a beautiful studio apartment with high ceilings, a kitchen that a chef would die for with a double black stainless gas oven, matching dishwasher and refrigerator, and marble countertops. Though she was a terrible cook and rarely used the kitchen for anything beyond eating takeout. She had a bathroom that even a queen would dream of having with multiple showerheads in her Tahitian inspired walk-in shower. Her four-poster canopy bed was big enough to fit four grown adults with a fluffy white down comforter and sheer black mosquito net curtains. But even with all of that, she felt lost and yearned to escape the mundanity of her life. She found herself drawn to her art to escape reality, her favorite form of creation was taking her Canon 6D out into nature and photographing beautiful or unusual things. Unfortunately for Claire, she lived in a place with little beauty. The metallic makeup of New York City left little to be desired in terms of nature. 

When her camera didn't call to her, books did. She read everything she could get her hands on, curled up in her window seat overlooking the city below. She was most fascinated by romance and time travel books. When the rare book contained both of her reading addictions, she would find herself immersed in the story, and generally, she was unable to put the book down until she read the last line on the last page. Occasionally, she would be so enraptured with the book that while she was at work she would daydream about how she would continue the story or perhaps of the different choices the characters should have made and how that would affect the overall storyline. But those fantasies of writing books were always left to the wayside, she was not a writer and nobody would waste any time on trying to decipher the feelings she attempted to put to paper. She was better off devouring other writer's stories and creating her own art through photographs. It wasn't as though her artwork was famous, but people did seem to appreciate it, which gave her a feeling of belonging, even if for just a short time.

Another of Claire's passions was learning about her ancestors, she yearned to know where she came from. She didn't know who her parents were growing up, her father likely never even knew about her and her mother abandoned her a week after she was born, so all she had to go off of, is what her grandmother had shared with her. Claire's grandmother had always told her stories about her great grandparents, so she had a vague idea of who at least some of the people had been. She had no uncles, aunts, or cousins to know if she shared physical traits with, it had only been Claire and her grandmother for as long as she could remember. Claire longed to know more about herself, things she didn't share with her grandmother, like where her eye color came from, or her crooked second toe or her high cheekbones. Where did these traits originate from, where did the people come from that contributed to the person that she was. Did her artistic skills have some basis in a long lost ancestor? Did her love of books and craving for knowledge trace back to a scholar that was now lost to time? 

She yearned to find out how and where she belonged in this world. Having always felt like a black swan or more accurately an ugly duckling, with her wavy dark brown hair that reached just past her shoulder blades, her dark blue eyes that didn't resemble her grandmother or any of the grandparents whose pictures adorned her grandmother's house or anyone she had even met for that matter. She longed to find her place in this world and it definitely was not where she found herself in her life at this point in time.

At night, when her mind would finally find rest after a long day of crunching numbers and inputting data at her office job, she would dream. She dreamed the most vivid dreams about people, places, and times that she had never encountered. Her most recent dream had been in a rather large city for the time period in which it took place, likely the mid to late 1800s based on the clothing styles. Claire couldn't definitively determine the name of the city but for some reason, it felt like it was perhaps London or some other place in the UK. She dreamed that she was a fancy, well off lady, dressed in the highest fashion of the time. She wore a lovely burgundy gown, trimmed in flowing black lace at the bodice and cuffs which reached just past her elbows. She had a black lace choker with a large diamond at the center and a wide brimmed hat to match her dress. Her shoes were like nothing she had ever seen except in books, they were made of brushed black leather, with a short fat heel, and rose up to mid calf with laces all the way up. They reminded her of attire of the victorian era that she had once seen in a museum. She wore black satin gloves to top the ensemble off, which seemed to be protecting her hands from the heat of the fire that raged in the building she was trying to escape from. 

She crawled on hands and knees from a ground level broken out window, out onto a rain soaked cobblestone street. Horse drawn carriages were clattering to a halt at the sudden shock of the blaze roaring to life behind her. People dressed in a similar fashion to her were running toward her asking about her well being, but she couldn't find the words to answer them. She reached for them but collapsed on the cobblestone road before she could touch them and then was suddenly woken from her dream.

Claire's grandmother had always encouraged her to write down her dreams as soon as she woke, telling her they would be important one day. Claire didn't understand why, but she obliged her grandmother none the less. Later that morning when she met her grandmother for their weekly coffee date at the nearby coffee shop, she would share her last few dreams that she had written down in her dream journal. Claire's grandmother would always read through them nodding to herself but never offering her opinion on any of them. 

Today when the waitress arrived with their drinks, a green tea for her grandmother, and a vanilla chai latte for Claire, her grandmother seemed different. Claire passed the journal across the table and waited while her grandmother opened the black leather cover and flipped to the last page of writing, marked with a navy blue length of ribbon. Claire warmed her hands on her mug, blowing gently across the surface as she held it to her lips and stared across the rim at her grandmother's face, waiting for any kind of response.

After a few moments, her grandmother looked up from the page, her eyes glistening with unshed tears causing Claire to set her mug down and look across at her grandmother in concern. "What is it Gran, what has got you so upset?"

Her grandmother shook her head as if to dispel any negative thoughts or notions of them, "Not a thing my dear child, but you have dreamed your final dream. Its time that I tell you the truth of who you are and where you come from, I'm afraid you won't be going into work today." 

Claire looked at her grandmother in a complete state of confusion, "What do you mean my final dream, is something going to happen to me, am I dying, is that why my dreams are so real?"

Her grandmother chuckled, "No my dear, you are not dying, but something big is about to happen to you. You see, the dreams you have been having all of your life are not truly dreams, they are glimpses into your past lives. And for you, my dear sweet girl, they offer you something special. The reason you have always felt as if you don't belong here is that in all honesty, you don't. Some of the women in our family had a special gift and I have been waiting all your life to share the secrets of it with you. People used to call us witches when they didn't understand the things we are capable of. People still don't understand and would be happier seeing us as part of a freak act in a circus than take us as we are."

"I have only shared a bit of our family history with you, I didn't want to give you to much, too soon. But the dreams you describe, I have read about them in history books. You have always been someone of importance, but until this latest dream I wasn't sure if you were seeing glimpses into your past or your future."

Claire furrowed her brow, "I don't understand what you mean, I could understand them being only glimpses into past lives, I have always believed in that. But I don't see how they could be my future when they are all of times long gone."

Claire's grandmother reached across the table and placed her hands on both of Claire's, enveloping them in her fragile hands. "My dear, one of the abilities the women of our family have is to be able to travel with your mind. I have a special pendant at home that helps to direct your energy and to steer you to where it is you wish to go. But to use it takes courage, you must always be mindful about where you might end up. Not only can you travel to other locations, but you can travel to other times as well. You must always travel at night or in the safety of a secluded location to avoid being seen leaving or arriving. Our ancestors learned the hard way to always avoid detection, those that were seen traveling were almost always accused of being a witch and nearly every time burned at the stake."

Claire pulled her hands back out of her grandmother's grasp, "Why in the hell would I want to engage in anything that could get me killed?"

Claire's grandmother sighed, "Do not try and convince me that the life you find yourself in is at all fulfilling. Your soul longs for more, for the place and time it truly belongs. You will never feel settled until you listen to your heart and let it take you where you belong. All of these dreams you have written about, have been full of adventure. Almost every single one of them takes place on another continent and once we arrive there, you will recognize it and your mind and body will feel as if they are finally coming home."

"You must also remember that you do not have this gift in order to change history, it is only meant to let you choose your own destiny. Once your soul finds its proper place in space and time, the gift of traveling through time will be lost to you. It will take several test jumps until you get it under control. The easest jump is always coming home it is the place and time you are most familiar with, so when you find yourself lost, you must simply hold your pendent between both thumbs and index fingers, close your eyes and think of home."

Claire's grandmother stood, leaving her green tea sitting on the table untouched. She tossed down a couple of bills, enough to pay for their drinks and leave the waitress a generous tip and extended her hand toward Claire, "Come, child, I have some things I need to show you that will take more than a mere description for you to understand what they are, now take me home."

Claire grabbed her mug, tossed back the rest of her now cool latte, and scrambled to catch up with her grandmother who had already strode away from the table, and headed for the exit.


	2. Chapter 2

Claire lived in a studio apartment above the coffee shop where she met her grandmother weekly for coffee and had no need of a car to get to where she needed to go in the city. But her grandmother lived in a small cottage on the outskirts of the city and would drive her little Prius into town when she would make her weekly trips to visit Claire. Even though Claire had a sound argument that she would not need to learn how to drive since she planned to live in the city, her grandmother had insisted that Claire get her driver's license when she turned 16. So when they left the coffee shop, her grandmother tossed her the key to the car and told her to drive her home.

Driving in the oppressive congested traffic of New York City, always put Claire's nerves on edge. However, today she was too focused on what her grandmother had promised to show her once they arrived at the cottage. They left the traffic of the city behind them a mere 20 minutes after they walked out of the coffee shop and they were now on open roads. It would take another 20 minutes before they arrived at the cottage and they rode in silence the whole way. Claire was lost in thoughts about everything her grandmother had revealed and swore that if she had a free hand, she would pinch herself to be sure she wasn't just having a strange dream. 

Finally, they turned left onto the long gravel driveway that led straight up to the side of the cottage. She pulled up beside the house, put the car in park and cut the engine. "Alright Gran, we're here, what have you got to show me?"

Her grandmother reached for the door handle, but before she pushed the door open, she turned to Claire with a mischievous gleam in her eye, "Come with me, my dear and you shall see."

Claire was a little taken aback at her grandmother's change of demeanor and was reminded of the childhood story of Hansel and Gretal being lured into the witch's house. She immediately shook the thought from her head, climbed out of the car, and followed her grandmother inside. Once in the house, her grandmother went straight to her bedroom, urging Claire to follow her, "Come, darling, everything is in here."

Claire followed dutifully and sat on the edge of the bed as her grandmother took the scarf off that had been holding her hair in place, her gloves from her hands and her peacoat off, and placed everything in its proper place inside of her closet. Then her grandmother turned and knelt down in front of the giant cedar chest at the foot of her bed. She produced an old brass skeleton key from her pocket and unlocked the chest. She pushed the heavy lid open and beckoned Claire to join her at her side so she could have a better view of what was inside of the trunk. 

Once there, Claire leaned over and looked in. There were stacks of journals, that closely resembled her dream journal. "What are all these Gran?"

Her grandmother reached in and pulled one of the books out, opening it to a random page. "These are the journals from the women in our family who had the gift. But these are unlike your journals, these were written as guides for those women that came after them. You can read through them if you like or I can sum up what they say for you."

Claire furrowed her brow, "Gran, I don't have time to read all of these journals, why don't you just tell me what it is they say."

Her grandmother pulled a smaller box from the chest, closed the lid of the chest and rose to her feet to turn and sit on top of it.

Her grandmother chuckled, "I thought you might say that. Well, basically, you are able to travel two ways, you can travel with or without your pendant, but having the pendant makes all the difference. You see, without the pendant, you can only astral project yourself to places you have seen or been to. This is where your dreams come into play. You see, the dreams are not so much past life experiences as they are a way for you to see into another time. You have been astral projecting yourself into these times and places and that is what you see in your dreams. The people in these dreams if you will, for lack of a better word to describe your experiences. You can see them as they can you and you can carry on a conversation with them, but the moment you try to touch them or they attempt to touch you, your astral form returns to your body. The way you project yourself is a bit like meditation, you must lie down and get comfortable. For your first attempt, I am going to help you by hypnotizing you into a deep trance."

Claire stood up and stared down at her grandmother, "Okay, so let's just say that I believe you, why does all of this suddenly matter now? What does it have to do with what you started to tell me at the coffee shop?"

Claire's grandmother reached her hand up and grasped Claire's hand, "I am showing you now, because of the last dream you wrote in your book, the way you described it, you clearly astral projected yourself to that time period while you slept."

Claire eyed her grandmother skeptically, then rolled her eyes when her grandmother didn't seem to be giving in, "Fine, have it your way. But how am I to know where I should project myself?"

Claire's grandmother smiled, "Now that is the right question to ask. It's better to start by remaining in your own timeline, so think of a place where not many people will be around. A place where the people that might see you, won't know you and thus know where to find you."

Claire walked out of her grandmother's room down the hall and entered her own room. She sat down on her bed, laid back on the pillows and tried to think about a place. Suddenly she realized she must play it safe and thought of her grandmother's kitchen. 

She opened her eyes and realized she was standing in the kitchen, so she called out to her grandmother, "Gran, I don't know if it worked or not. Perhaps I just woke up from my trance and walked into the kitchen." 

Her grandmother came into the kitchen, "Follow me child, and see for yourself."

Claire followed her grandmother through the cottage back to her bedroom and as she entered the doorway she gasped at the sight of herself lying in the bed, arms crossed over her chest as if she had died. Claire turned to her grandmother, "What is wrong with me, am I dead?"

Her grandmother chuckled, "Oh, no my dear. Your mind is in a trancelike state, you are basically dreaming of this all happening now, even though it is actually happening now. When you wake up, you will feel like you had another vivid dream. But I must do something that you didn't expect me to do when I put you into a trance, that way when you wake up, you will know this was all real."

Claire furrowed her brow, "Like what?"

Her grandmother chuckled, "Have patience, my dear, follow me to my room."

Claire followed dutifully and watched as her grandmother pulled a lovely light blue sapphire pendant from the little wooden box she had removed from the cedar chest. "Alright dear, follow me back to your room and be silent, just watch what I do."

Claire did as her grandmother asked and watched as she placed the pendant in the real Claire's hand and closed her fingers around it. She looked down at the same hand of her a step form and could feel the pendant there, even though when she opened her fist it wasn't in her hand. She looked back at her grandmother confused, "I can feel it Gran, but it's not there."

She smiled at Claire, "It's not with your astro form, because you didn't have it with you when you projected yourself. You can feel it in your hand because it is the hand of your physical form. I want you to close your eyes and count backward from 100 silently. I am going to wake you from your trance, but I'm not going to say a word when you wake. I need you to tell me everything that happened."

Claire nodded, "Okay, Gran I can do that, but this all still seems a bit to crazy to be true."

Her grandmother gave her a stern look, which caused Claire to clamp her mouth shut and close her eyes, waiting to be awoken again, she began counting 100... 99... 98... 97. 

She opened her eyes and suddenly she was lying on her bed again. She looked down at her right hand, she realized she was grasping something tightly. She brought her hand up closer to her face and slowly relaxed her fingers enough to see what she held in her fist. She gasped when she saw that she held the light blue sapphire pendant that she had only seen in her astral form. 

She looked up and saw her grandmothers cheshire grin. She narrowed her eyes at her grandmother for a moment, then remembered she was supposed to relay everything that had happened in her dream. She told her grandmother what she could remember as her grandmother nodded along as the story was told. "Yes, my dear, that is exactly how everything happened. But I want you to be able to control when you astral project instead of it happening randomly as you sleep and ending up in places and times unplanned. We will practice projections for a few weeks before we move on to real traveling."

Claire sat up and began to protest, "But Gran, I have to work, I can't stay here and I can't have you driving into the city to pick me up all the time and you don't exactly fit in at my apartment."

Her grandmother placed a calming hand on her knee, "Be still, my darling. You are quitting that dead end job. You know that I have plenty of money to take care of both of us for a very long time. You can keep your apartment, but you will be staying here with me while you practice."

Claire racked her brain for some other excuse, she wasn't sure she wanted to have any part in this traveling business. "Well, what about my cat, Jeep. The apartment is her home and I can't just abandon her, while I am here practicing witchcraft."

Her grandmother scoffed, "It's not witchcraft and I have watched Jeep here before when you went off on one of your weekend hiking adventures into the Catskills."

Claire huffed, "Fine, I guess I should write up a resignation letter and deliver it to my boss."

Her grandmother patted her knee, "Already taken care of my darling. I emailed him from your account while you were resting after your astro form returned to your body."

Claire's jaw dropped open, "How in the Hell did you have time for that. I was only projecting for a few minutes and I was with you the whole time."

Her grandmother pointed at the bedside alarm clock, it's bright blue neon letters displaying the time an hour later than Claire felt it should be. "You slept for nearly an hour after your astral form returned to your body. Projection is a tiring business, but you can build up your stamina by practicing and being able to identify the triggers that make you sluggish."

Her grandmother stood and offered her a hand, "Now if you feel like you have had enough rest, you need to eat something to build your energy back up. We won't do this again until tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning came sooner than Claire was prepared for. She had slept fitfully all night, her dreams weren't her usual dream walks as her grandmother had described them to her. Instead, she dreamed of everything her grandmother had revealed to her and all the possibilities such abilities would offer her. As she was stretching her achy limbs her grandmother's voice floated through the closed door, "Claire, dear it's time to wake up, breakfast is almost ready and we have so many things to do today, there is no time to waste."

Claire grumbled and glared at the door, she loved her grandmother dearly, but sometimes she could be quite the pain in the ass. "Yes Gran, I'm awake, let me get dressed and I'll be right out."

She threw her legs over the edge of the bed and scooted forward until her bare toes touch the cold hardwood floor, causing a shiver to run up her spine. She jumped up, staying on tiptoes and hopped across to her soft white shag rug that laid in front of her dresser. She pulled the oversized Mickey Mouse t-shirt off over her head and tossed it into the hamper next to her closet door. Standing in only her plain black cotton bikini cut panties she pulled the top drawer open in search of clean panties and a bra. She pulled the first pair of panties that her fingers touched from the drawer. It was always a guess what she would pull out since she thought to fold such tiny pieces of fabric was a waste of time and generally just shoved her clean underwear into the drawer after removing them from the dryer. Today it seemed the universe wanted her to wear baby blue, lace boyshorts cut panties. She rummaged around in the drawer some more to find the matching bra.

She closed the drawer and walked into her walk-in closet to go in search of an outfit for the day. Since she didn't know what her grandmother had planned, she opted for a pair of high waisted faded blue jeans and a white cowl neck angora sweater that fell just to her hips. She grabbed her dark purple velvet robe from the hook next to her closet door, walked back into her bedroom, set her clothing selection on her bed, and slipped the robe on. She would go eat breakfast with her grandmother then hop in the shower before putting fresh clothes on. She patted her messy curls down in an attempt to tame them, but to no avail. 

She opened her bedroom door to the delicious smells of bacon, eggs, and french toast. She walked out into the eat in kitchen where her grandmother was just placing the last of the food on the table. Her nose was stuck in the air, inhaling the delicious scents as she took her seat opposite her grandmother.

Her grandmother laughed at her, "You look like a dog on the scent of prey, hopefully, that means you like what you smell and are ready to help me devour this hearty breakfast."

Claire giggled, "Yes Gran, everything smells divine, just try and stop me from eating my fill. Now tell me, what is it that you have planned for us today?"

Claire began dishing up her plate with scrambled eggs, just right crispy bacon and three slices of amaretto flavored french toast as her grandmother regaled her with the plan for the day.

"First you are going to take a DNA test that I ordered for you a few months ago. I know a bit about our family history but not much and I know nothing of who your father was. It will likely take a few weeks to get the results back, but that will give us time to practice traveling. But I think it is important for you to know who your ancestors were. It would be interesting to meet them, but it will also let you know who you should avoid getting romantically involved with. You don't want to do anything that could erase your entire existence by getting involved with one of your ancestors. I also think it would help if you were to at least scan through some of the journals in my cedar chest, not everything contained within them is about your ability to time travel. There is likely some useful information in them and you have a bit of time before you make your final jump."

Claire had listened to everything her grandmother had said with a new enthusiasm while she ate her breakfast. The idea of meeting her ancestors was indeed intriguing, although there could be bad people who she wasn't too keen to meet, she was curious who she might be related to. Their genealogy project would definitely be an interesting adventure in and of itself. 

Her grandmother finished the breakfast that was on her plate, took a sip of her orange juice, pushed her plate to the side, then folded her hands and placed them on the table in front of her. "There is one more thing that I must tell you."

Claire set her almost empty glass of orange juice down, a worried expression on her face, "What is it Gran?"

Her grandmother smiled at her which told her that what she had to say was not something too serious. "You are able to astral project and not be seen as well, you must do it while you are awake and use a ring that I have for you. You must touch the stone in the ring as you think of the place you wish to project to. Wait here and I will go get the ring from my jewelry box, I no longer have a desire or need to project myself, so it is yours."

Her grandmother pushed her chair back, gathered her dishes, rinsed them, and placed them in the sink to be washed later. Claire finished her breakfast as she waited for her grandmother to return. Claire cleaned up her dishes, rinsed them and set them in the sink with her grandmother's and was just sitting back down at the breakfast table when her grandmother returned and handed her a small black velvet pouch. "Here open this, it should fit on your pinky finger."

Claire loosened the draw string on the little pouch and poured the contents into her hand. A delicate silver ring created by interlacing vines that encased an enchanting stone with several colors landed in her palm.

"Gran, this is marvelous, what kind of stone is this?"

Her grandmother sat down across from her, "That is called an opal, it is a rare gemstone, but very powerful. The stone that you use to project yourself must be your birthstone in order to keep you unseen and unheard when you astral project, the opal is your birthstone. When you project with it, your body will appear as though you are daydreaming or staring off into space and anyone can draw you back with a touch or if they speak your name loud enough. You may find the need for it and you may not, but it is better if you have it with you. We will practice with it today after we go into town and drop your DNA sample off at the post office."

Claire smiled at her grandmother, stood up, and walked over next to her to lean down and hug her around the shoulders, "Thank you for all of this Gran, and thank you for breakfast. I'm going to go in and take a shower. I will complete my DNA sample when I'm finished and then we can go to town."

***

While they were in town, they stopped at Claire's apartment to gather her clothing and other belongings she might be in need of over the next several weeks, as well as her Blue Persian cat, Jeep. Thankfully Jeep had been in her grandmother's vehicle several times and wasn't fazed a bit by riding in the car. When they were finished in town, Claire drove her and her grandmother back to the cottage to practice her astral projection. As they were unloading Claire's things as well as her cat, Jeep from the car a sudden thought occurred to Claire, "Gran, is Jeep my familiar?"

Claire's grandmother jerked her head up to glare at her granddaughter, "Are you seriously asking me that, I told you that we are not witches, no matter what others have accused us of being in the past. Yes, we have special abilities to travel through time, no we can't cast spells, curses or enchantments. We have no control over others, well except..."

Claire brought her eyes up to look at her grandmother at the sudden stop in the middle of her thought, "Except what Gran?"

Her grandmother narrowed her eyes, "Well, some of us are powerful enough to bring others with us through time and never lose the ability to physically travel after our souls have found their other half. But we don't know who has that power until they actually use it, there is no way to know if you are one of the few until it is attempted."

Claire furrowed her brow, "Why would anyone need to bring someone with them through time?"

Her grandmother looked back down at the box of hygiene items she was removing from the back seat of her car, "To save someone's life is the most obvious reason. There is a passage in one of the journals, but only one that refers to such an occurrence. Our ancestor, Jessica Randall was born in 1892, she originally traveled to the year 1712 where she met her soul mate. Her husband was not keen on joining the war against the Jacobites in 1715 with a new wife and young son and Jessica used her abilities to save them. She traveled back in time, taking her husband Denys and young son Edward back to the year 1704 and later gave birth to two other sons, Johnathan and Alexander in that time period. We descend from Edward's line, but he was lost to history, we don't know much about him."

Claire gathered up her suitcase and a box of books to follow her grandmother into the cottage, "How did she take them with her, certainly they must have all gone at once. No one in their right mind would leave a young child by themselves even for a moment to go back and get the father."

Claire's grandmother set the box down on the counter, "She wrote it all in her journal, but it says that she held her son's hand as he held his father's with the other hand and she grasped her pendant in her fist tightly. Apparently, those with this higher power do not need to use both hands to travel."

Claire walked to her bedroom to place her suitcase on her bed then returned to the kitchen where her grandmother remained standing, "So I could actually test that theory by using one hand as Jessica did while I'm attempting to travel and if it works then we know that I have the same kind of power she did and if not, then I won't come to depend on only a hope of having it when it is most needed."

Her grandmother looked at her appraisingly, "Yes I suppose that would be the simplest and smartest way to test it out. You certainly are the wisest so far of all the women in our family. As far as I know, no one has ever thought of trying to test it in that way."

Claire blushed as she lowered her gaze to the floor, "Thanks, Gran. When do we start my lessons on projecting and am I going to start training with the opal today?"

Her grandmother handed her the box of hygiene products and walked over to the refrigerator, "Yes, we are going to use the opal today, but first we should have some lunch. It has been a busy morning and if you eat before you project, you won't be so worn out afterward."

Claire looked at her grandmother as she adjusted the box in her arms, "Well, you made breakfast, let me put this up and I will take care of lunch. How does ham and swiss on pumpernickel sound to you?"

Her grandmother grinned, "That sounds amazing, I'll just go and sit on the porch and wait for you to bring it out. I made lemonade this morning, why don't you bring that out as well."

Claire smirked at her, "Yes Gran, give me about 20 minutes to put this away and make our lunch, go out and enjoy the sun. I'm sure that Jeep would love to join you and chase some butterflies in your rose garden as well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ring - https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1XbjUe7ZmBKNjSZPiq6xFNVXaw.jpg  
> Necklace - https://christopherduquet.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/lavender-sapphire-pendant-necklace-custom-jewelry-design-by-christopher-duquet-view-2.jpg


	4. Chapter 4

After enjoying their lunch and sitting on the porch in the afternoon sun for a bit, Claire's grandmother decided that it was time for Claire to practice her projection. "Claire lean back in your rocking chair and just relax. I want you to think of a place in this time that you would like to project to, after you have thought of it, let me know what you have decided."

Claire nodded, set her glass of lemonade on the rot iron patio table next to her, and leaned back to think of a place that she would like to project to. "Gran, does the place have to be a location that I have been before?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "No, my dear, if you know the name of the place, then you can project yourself using the opal. That was an excellent question that reminds me of something that I need to tell you. Once you project to a place and time with the opal, you will then be able to travel to that place in time. The knowledge of that time and place you gain while projecting with the opal gives you enough information to actually travel to that place in time with your sapphire."

Claire smiled, "Good to know, I think that I would like to travel to the Louvre Museum in Paris France."

Her grandmother grinned, "Of course my granddaughter who loves all things art would choose to travel to the Louvre. Fine, I have never been there so when you return, you must tell me what happened while you were there."

Claire nodded, "Ok, Gran, I'm ready, is there anything special that I need to know or do?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "No, not at all. Just touch your opal and if you are ready to return before someone touches you or says your name, just touch your opal in the projection and think of where you left your body."

Claire nodded, leaned her head back against the back of her chair, closed her eyes, and brought her hands together so she could touch the stone on her silver ring.

She thought of the picture of the Louvre that she had seen in magazines. Suddenly she found herself standing inside of the Louvre with nobody else around. At first, she thought that she had done something wrong, but then the sound of footsteps coming up behind her drew her attention. She turned around and saw a guard swinging a flashlight back and forth as he strolled through the hall. She decided to follow the guard so she could see the art as his flashlight passed over it. As she followed him, she noticed that his light touched some beautiful pieces of artwork such as The Raft of the Medusa, The Mona Lisa, The Venus de Milo, and The Horse Tamer. 

Once the guard reached the end of his assigned area, he turned around and scanned the area again. Claire decided that since it was too dark to see anything without the guard shining his light, she might as well go back and see her grandmother. She touched the opal and thought of her grandmother's front porch.

She opened her eyes when she heard the sounds of birds chirping and the breeze blowing through the trees. Her grandmother was still sitting in her rocking chair on the other side of the patio table and watching Jeep in the garden as she chased butterflies. "Gran, the Louvre is beautiful, but I think perhaps that the museum was closed. There was nobody around except for a nightguard, and I could only see a bit of the art that he shined his flashlight on. We will definitely have to go someday, when it is open of course."

Her grandmother smiled at her, "How long do you think you were gone?"

Claire thought for a moment, "Well I followed him along his whole route until he began going over the same pieces of artwork again. I would say that it likely took half an hour at most."

Her grandmother shook her head, "It may have seemed like that for you, but here you were only quiet for 2 minutes. That is something that you will learn, you are able to experience quite a bit while you project in a rather short amount of time. How do you feel physically, are you tired or hungry?"

Claire thought for a moment as she conducted an internal assessment of her body, "No, actually, I feel completely fine. I still feel full from lunch and don't feel tired at all."

Her grandmother nodded, "That's good. It appears that if we can make sure that you are well rested and fed before you project or travel that you likely won't feel those effects. Of course, there is no way to know if that proves true for traveling until you have actually attempted it. Would you like to try projecting without the opal, as you did yesterday?"

Claire grinned and nodded eagerly, "Yes, Gran, do I need to lie down?"

"No, my dear, you can stay right where you are, do you know where you would like to go?"

Claire thought for a moment, "Well, I need to stay away from places like the Louvre, which are closed right now, am I able to project to a place I haven't been to or seen?"

"Yes, projecting whether with or without the opal, does not require that you have ever experienced the place or time you are projecting to. Where is a place that you have always wanted to go, someplace where they won't recognize you if we actually go there or if you travel with your sapphire there?"

Claire tapped her finger on her chin, "I have a few places in mind. I do have a question though, if I project myself to another time, would I need to change my clothes before I project?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "Not at all, when you project you are able to imagine yourself wearing the appropriate clothing for the time period. But when you travel, you will need to change before you go, whatever you are wearing or holding will travel with you."

Claire nodded, "Okay, could I project myself a few years back, I'm curious to what my mother looked like?"

Her grandmother furrowed her brow, "You have seen pictures of her, my dear."

Claire sighed, "Yes I know Gran, but I mean on the day I was born. I would like to go back and see what she was like that day. Did she even look at me when I was born, did she want me, was she the one who gave me my name?"

Her grandmother slumped in her chair, "I see, yes I suppose you could, but perhaps if you wish to project to that certain time and place, you should use the opal."

Claire nodded, "I won't do that today, I was just curious if it was possible. I want to practice without the opal next, I think that I will visit the rim of the volcano Kilauea, it is a place that I never would or could actually go in real life and it is to hot for anyone else to go either. Plus I have always wanted to see what it is like to look down inside of a volcano."

Claire's grandmother's eyes grew wide, "Wow, that is an excellent choice, good luck, and tell me what it was like when you return."

Claire nodded and tried to calm her excited heart. She leaned back in her rocking chair, kept both of her hands on the armrests, and closed her eyes. Her eyes shot open a moment later, "Gran, how do I get back since I won't be using the opal?"

Her grandmother chuckled, "My dear all you need to do is think of where you left your body and you will come back from the projection."

Claire relaxed back into her chair, closed her eyes, and thought of the rim of the volcano. Suddenly she was standing on the edge, looking down into the roiling boiling lava inside the mouth of the volcano, she was mesmerized by the sight and felt like the luckiest person on earth. She couldn't believe that she was able to witness something that no one else ever had or ever would in the way that she was in that moment. She noticed as she stood there on the rim, witnessing nature's magic that she felt no heat from the lava or wind against her skin. She couldn't feel the grinding of lava rock below her feet or moisture in the air. She truly felt like a ghost, impervious to the laws of reality. 

She giggled like a schoolgirl, she could get used to having adventures like this. She would take the next few weeks of training to experience those things that she never could in her physical form. She briefly wondered if she could project herself to the moon and look down upon the earth, it was a question that she would need to ask her grandmother when she returned. She realized that she was disappearing from the rim of the volcano and felt herself going back to her grandmother's porch. She heard the familiar sounds of her grandmother's porch on the outskirts of New York and opened her eyes.

She glanced at her grandmother who was still sitting in the same spot, "How long was I gone that time Gran?"

Her grandmother tore her attention from the cat playing in the garden, "Only a moment my dear."

Claire leaned forward in her rocking chair, "Gran, I started to come back when I thought of asking you a question. I guess returning is as simple as thinking of something or someone from home."

Her grandmother patted her hand that rested on the table, "For you, it would seem so, my dear. I am going to go inside and take my afternoon nap, continue to practice, but remember not to project yourself where anyone will see you appear."

Claire sat back in her chair, "Yes, Gran, have a good rest. I will be right here, practicing."

Claire waited for her grandmother to go into the house and for her footsteps to fade away, then she began her adventure. She found that she could project herself to the moon since she didn't require oxygen to breathe. The view of the earth from the moon was breathtaking, just as the view into the volcano was. She surmised that the only downside to projecting was that she wasn't able to bring her camera with her. The pictures would be outstanding if she could only capture them in her physical form. 

She then traveled to Egypt and sat atop the Pyramid at Giza. She used her opal to project herself to the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall of China, to the Eiffel Tower, to the torch that lady liberty holds, to Stonehenge, and finally to the Edinburgh Castle. When she was finished and had returned to her grandmother's porch only an hour after her grandmother how gone inside to rest, Claire wondered why she would ever project without the opal. She had a homework assignment for herself for the rest of the evening until her grandmother woke from her nap. She was going to make a list of places that she wanted to see, but would never have enough money or time to do so physically.

She walked inside and went into her bedroom to retrieve some paper and a pen. She returned to the kitchen and sat down at the small round oak table to begin making her dream vacation list. She loved castles and museums and would begin her list with those types of places. 

_ Vacations Destinations _

_Glamis Castle - Scotland_

_Huntly Castle - Scotland_

_Dunnottar Castle - Scotland_

_Stirling Castle - Scotland_

_Balmoral Castle - Scotland_

_Inverness Castle - Scotland_

_Falkland Palace - Scotland_

_Dalkeith Palace - Scotland_

_Caernarfon Castle - Wales_

_Harlech Castle - Wales_

_Kilkenny Castle - Ireland_

_Chillon Castle - Switzerland_

_Neuschwanstein Castle - Germany_

_Hohenzollern Castle - Germany_

_Heidelberg Castle - Germany_

_Bodiam Castle - England_

_Alnwich Castle - England_

_Smithsonian - Washington D.C._

_Museo - Madrid_

_Uffizi - Florence_

_Sistine Chapel - Vatican City_

Claire looked over her list and realized that most of the places that she longed to visit were located in Scotland. She wondered if perhaps she was drawn there for more than the amazing castles that the country contained. By the time she had finished her list, Claire's grandmother had woken up from her nap. She walked into the kitchen and took a look over Claire's shoulder, "Are you planning on taking a trip to Europe soon?"

Claire looked up from her list, "Oh, no Gran, these are places that I plan to project to. I figured if I am going to practice, I might as well go to some of the places that I have always dreamed of going to. Do you think it is a horrible plan?"

Her grandmother picked up the list and took a closer look, "Well some of these places will be full of people, I'm not so sure that would be a good plan."

Claire grinned, "I figured if I can travel with the opal, so people won't see me, then why would I bother projecting without it."

Her grandmother looked at her skeptically, "Well, if you want to practice with the opal then I see no problem with visiting these places. But you still need to practice without it."

Claire furrowed her brow, "Why Gran, I don't see any point in projecting for people to be able to see me?"

Her grandmother set her list back on the table and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You might need to give someone a message and you can't do that if they can't see you, correct?"

Claire sighed, "Yes, I guess you are right, but I can't think of any place where I could project myself safely and not worry about who might see me."

Her grandmother removed her hand and walked to the other side of the table and took her seat, "It might not be so crucial to practice that just now, but after we get your DNA results back, you might find it useful. For example, when we find out who your father is, you may want to give him a message about you."

Claire looked down at her list, "Yes, I might want to do that. You said my mother never told you who my father was, do you suppose she knew, do you suppose he knew about me?"

Her grandmother reached across the table and placed her frail hand over Claire's, "I don't think your father knew about you, but I do think your mother knew who he was. She wasn't the type to sleep around and she was heartbroken when she came back from her trip across Europe. Her best friend at the time wouldn't say a word, but I think your mother fell in love with someone who was backpacking across Europe as well and neither one of them knew where they were going to end up. They had no contact information to share at the time. I didn't even have a permanent address when your mother was in Europe for her to pass on to your father. It was a very difficult time for her and looking at your beautiful face must have reminded her of what she had left behind while she was in Europe. She brought you here when you were less than a week old, to enjoy a day out with her friends and never returned. So you may want to give your mother a message as well."

Claire looked up at her grandmother with tears in her eyes, "But how will I give either of them a message if I don't know where they are?"

Her grandmother squeezed her hand, "That is the beauty of projecting, you don't have to know where someone is to visit them, you only need to know who you want to visit and when. Of course, visiting a place is different, you are focusing on the location and the time and not a person."

Claire sighed, "I don't know if I am quite ready to visit either of my parents just yet, Gran. You were a wonderful mother to me and no one could ever replace you."

Her grandmother smiled, "I'm glad you think so highly of me, you may not after I give you your next assignment."

Claire furrowed her brow, "Gran, I could never think less of you, but now you have me worried. What else could you possibly have for me to do?"

Her grandmother chuckled, "Well, from the dreams in your dream journal, you will be traveling to a time without automobiles, so that means you will be doing a lot of walking."

Claire tilted her head to the side in confusion, "And that means what, exactly?"

Her grandmother stood up and walked over to the sink to grab a glass of water, "It means my dear that you are going to have to start eating foods from the time periods you are going to travel to in order to prepare you body for them. It also means that you are going to begin an exercise regimen and stick to it. You must get into tip top shape for the life ahead of you."

Claire groaned, "Okay, maybe I do think less of you now. Geez Gran, do I really have to change my diet? I don't even know where or when my soulmate is yet."

Her grandmother walked over to stand behind her and pointed to her list, "Do you see this?"

Claire looked down at the list, "Yes, so?"

Her grandmother placed a finger next to Glamis Castle on her list, "This list tells you the where and the age of the castles that you have listed here tell you approximately the when. You are drawn to this place and time. I made a similar list when I was about your age, it is what brought me to New York. I wasn't born when you think I was."

Claire whipped her head up to look at her grandmother, "When were you born, and for that matter where Gran?"

Her grandmother walked around the table and took her seat again. "I was born in the year 2038 and when I was 20 I traveled to the year 1958. I was born in what is now known as Washington State, but it was part of New country at the time I left.

Claire's jaw dropped, "You traveled a hundred years into the past?"

Her grandmother smiled, "Yes I did and from the looks of this list, you will likely travel about 300 years into the past, perhaps a bit less. You must remember that when we begin traveling we never know when or where we are going to end up. I traveled 500 years into the past on my initial trip. One thing you must remember though, you can never travel further into the future than when you would be if you had remained in your own time. So when you are 40 years old, you could travel to 2040, but you couldn't travel to that year before you turn 40, you also can't travel to a time within your own lifetime. You can project to those times, but if you were alive in that timeline, you can't travel there from another time. So even though you can project yourself to the day you were born, you can't travel to that time. Two versions of you cannot exist within the same timeline."

Claire looked back down at her list and realized that she had a bit more homework to do than what her grandmother had assigned her. Apparently she needed to research Scotland over the past 300 or so years.


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few weeks, Claire split her time between practicing projecting with her opal and visiting the New York Public Library. Although her experience with projecting was coming along nicely, the research into Scotland was not quite as fruitful. She worried that she would never find what she needed to unless she could travel to Scotland and have access to the best historical records about Scotland in the world. She even attempted projecting to some of Scotland's libraries with her opal, but she was only able to read over people's shoulders as they held books open, they were using for their own research. This also proved to be a pointless attempt since most people who were visiting the libraries were college students, and there hadn't been any who were researching the history of Scotland and it's people. None of them who had been researching Scotland's history had been focused on anything except the battle of Culloden in 1746.

Claire decided that it was time to approach her grandmother about taking a vacation to Scotland so she could further her research. She waited until dinner that night, hoping that her grandmother would be most open to the idea at that time of day. It was Claire's turn to cook dinner and she thought she would try a recipe that she had found from the early 1700s. 

She chopped her raw bacon into small pieces and placed it in a deep frying pan to bring to a crisp. Then she diced some chicken breast and browned it in the same pan as the bacon. Once the meat was done, she added some shredded collard greens from her grandmother's garden and placed the lid on the pan until the collard greens had wilted enough to stir and mix with the meat. After the meat and greens had reached their appropriate doneness, she added eggs that she had mixed with a whisk, pouring them over everything in the pan. After the eggs had begun to solidify on the bottom, she mixed everything up again and let the eggs finish cooking. The last step was to turn off the heat, sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the entire dish, and replacing the lid to allow the cheese to melt.

She served it to her grandmother on a plate and stood back to watch as she tasted it, "How does it taste, Gran, did I do the recipe any justice?"

Her grandmother swallowed the small bite she had placed in her mouth and set her fork down, "This is a delicious healthy dish, my dear. I am so glad that you are able to replicate most of the recipes we have found. This dish should be simple enough to make, no matter what time you find yourself in."

Claire bounced on the balls of her feet with a big grin plastered across her face. "That is exactly what I was hoping for. I've been trying to narrow it down to a few things that I can cook well, with ingredients that should be simple enough to come by. I could really use any greens in this recipe, but since you had collard greens growing in your garden, I figured why not use what is available to me."

Her grandmother gestured for her to sit down and enjoy the fruits of her labor, "That is an excellent plan, my dear. You will do well, no matter when you end up. Once you are there, you will find more recipes that are easy to add to your list of dishes. You will make any man proud to call you his wife."

Claire grinned around her fork, chewed and swallowed quickly, "I hope you're right Gran, I'm becoming quite anxious to find out when I am supposed to be. That brings me to something I wanted to ask you as well."

Her grandmother looked up at her and gave her an infinitesimal nod that encouraged her to continue. "As you know I have been spending a ton of time at the library and online trying to research everything I can about Scotland."

Her grandmother nodded but didn't respond so Claire continued, "Well, I have reached a dead end. I have even projected to the libraries in Scotland to try and further my research, but that only allows me to look at books that other people are using. I think in order to find out what I need to, that I will need to visit Scotland. So I wanted to ask you how you feel about taking a short vacation there."

Her grandmother's eyes widened, "Why do you need to ask my permission to go to Scotland?"

Claire sighed, "Well, I did make good money at my job, but I don't have nearly enough to pay for a round trip ticket to Scotland and I would want you to go with me when I go."

Her grandmother reached across the table to place her hand over Claire's and still the incessant tapping of her fingers on the table. "My dear, you don't need to buy a plane ticket, you can simply travel there."

Claire sighed, "I thought of that, but I want you to go with me. I'm not sure what I'm looking for and perhaps you would be able to help me."

Her grandmother smiled, "Alright then this will be the perfect time to find out if you are like Jessica Randall, our ancestor, wouldn't it?"

Claire nodded, "Yes, I suppose it would. But where will we travel to and make sure that we are not seen?"

Her grandmother released her hand and leaned back in her chair. "Hmm, it will have to be a location close enough to the library so we don't have far to travel, but also someplace that is not crawling with people so we are not seen arriving or leaving."

Her grandmother's eyes lit up, "I have an idea."

Claire furrowed her brow, "Okay and what is your idea, Gran, don't leave me sitting here wondering."

Her grandmother sat forward in her seat with an almost conspirational look upon her face as she said her next words, "You could project with the opal first to scout the location and find the perfect place for us to travel to."

Claire's eyes grew wide, "Of course, I can, I didn't even think of that. That is a brilliant plan, Gran."

Her grandmother sat forward, "Good, we will need to calculate the time difference so we can arrive when the library is open, but right now we should finish this delectable dinner that you have prepared for us."

Claire nodded, "Yes Gran."

***

Once they were finished with dinner, Claire brought her laptop to the kitchen and looked up the time difference from New York to Glasgow. Glasgow and every other place in Scotland were 4 hours ahead of New York, so they decided that the best time to travel would be the first thing in the morning. They would still be able to get a full night's rest and have four or five hours to do some research before the library closed for the day.

Claire's grandmother reminded her that traveling took much more energy and time passed equally in the place they traveled from and the place they traveled to. By traveling to the libraries across Scotland, Claire would get plenty of practice in honing her traveling skills as well as have enough time remaining when they returned each afternoon to continue with her fitness training and food prep practices. She would still need to practice traveling to different times, but that could come later once she had completed her research. Her grandmother would have her travel only short distances at first, starting with the year before she was born. Maybe she could even travel to meet her mother and father as they backpacked across Europe, during the time she was conceived.

They decided to turn in to bed early that night to ensure their energy would be at its peak level for travel, especially if Claire did have the rare ability to take people with her as she traveled.

Claire woke at 5 AM to do a bit of research into areas that she thought might make good jumping locations. She figured she could test a few of them out while her grandmother got a few more hours of sleep. They had decided that they would make the jump at 8 AM so they would be arriving in Scotland at around noon. They would eat a hearty breakfast before jumping and then find a quaint place in Scotland to taste the local fares as well as replenish the energy needed to make the jump. 

After scouting a few unsuccessful locations to jump to, Claire found that the Kelvingrove Park a few blocks away from The Mitchell Library in Glasgow was her best option. There were plenty of trees within the park to hide their arrival and departure from prying eyes, and Claire would project only moments before they planned to jump in order to ensure that the coast was clear for their arrival. Claire looked up when she heard her grandmother's bedroom door open, "Good morning Gran. Did you sleep well?"

Her grandmother smiled at her, "Yes I did my dear, it looks like you have been up for quite a while."

Claire furrowed her brow, I woke up at 5 AM, what time is it now?"

Her grandmother walked to the kitchen island to pull a frying pan down from the pot rack, "It's quarter to 7. It looks like you have been doing some research, have you found a good location for us to land?"

Claire looked back down at her laptop, noticed the time then moved her eyes back to the picture she had pulled up on Google Earth of Kelvingrove Park. She turned the laptop so that her grandmother could see the screen, "I think if we travel to Kelvingrove Park, no matter what time of day, we should have enough cover with all of these trees. Of course, I will project first to make sure that no one is around when we jump. From there we can enjoy a stroll to The Mitchell Library. Glasgow has several libraries, but I believe this one will produce the results we are searching for."

Her grandmother set the pan on the stove and walked over to peer over Claire's shoulder and gave a slight nod, "Yes, that is an ideal location to travel to. We must make sure to look around for any signage when we arrive that indicates park hours. I haven't been to Scotland in ages and am not sure if they enforce a park curfew such as they do here in some areas in the United States."

Claire nodded, "That is a good idea, I had not thought of that, but we do want to make sure that we are back in the park before any possible curfew or we will find ourselves staying in Scotland for the night."

Her grandmother placed a hand on Claire's shoulder, "That might be something we should plan for anyway. We could spend a few days there, take in some sights and allow us a bit more time each day to do your research. Just make sure to pack your passport in an overnight bag in case we decide to rent a car and take a drive across the countryside. There is no better way to get to know a place than to experience it first hand. Your library research will only tell you so much and if we take a drive first, you may come up with more specific things you wish to research."

Claire smiled, "Gran, you know that I have been visiting castles across Scotland for the past few weeks, right?"

Her grandmother shook her head as she cracked another egg into the frying pan, "No my dear, that is not experiencing anything, that is observing. Once we arrive you will be able to see, feel, smell, and taste the difference."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is based in our current time, but I don't want covid to be part of my story. So the places that would actually be closed now, will not be closed in my story. This is fiction, even though I am attempting to use actual places within the story.

Neither Claire nor her grandmother knew if Claire possessed the special powers that their ancestor Jessica Randall possessed but there was only one way to find out. Claire had packed not only her laptop and camera with 2 extra lenses and several batteries, but she packed a week's worth of clothing as well. She had read several blogs about visiting Scotland since she had decided to go and knew that she would need all weather clothing with removable layers. 

Claire's grandmother made sure that Jeep had plenty of food and was able to get in and out of the house through the bathroom window while they were gone. Claire's grandmother also packed clothes for a week but left plenty of room in her suitcase for any trinkets or souvenirs that they decided to purchase while visiting abroad. Both of them wandered through the house to make sure they were forgetting anything important, then walked out the front door, locking it behind them. 

Claire thought it would be easier for her to imagine Kelvingrove Park if she was already standing in nature. So they walked to the center of her grandmother's garden and sat down on the little wooden bench. Claire leaned against her grandmother's shoulder for support while she was gone, closed her eyes, and touched the opal on her ring to project to the Kelvingrove Park.

She opened her eyes and looked around. She could hear the voices of children playing nearby, but she had projected into the center of a grove of trees and the coast was clear. She closed her eyes again, touched the opal, and thought of her grandmother's garden.

Her grandmother looked at her questioningly, "You were only gone for the blink of an eye, is the coast clear?"

Claire smiled, "Yes, I found the perfect location. I'm not sure how far we will need to walk to rent a car, but we can always call an uber when we get there. Are you ready, Gran?"

Her grandmother smiled, "Yes my dear. But if I am unable to go with you, I want you to stay and enjoy yourself. This is the only way that you will learn about the country."

Claire grabbed her grandmother's hands and pulled her to a standing position, "I promise, Gran. Let's secure our bags and then I want you to hold my hand and don't let go."

Her grandmother picked up her bag, adjusted the strap over her shoulder and across her body, "Alright, Claire, I'm ready."

Claire secured her own bags over her body, took her grandmother's hand and held it tightly, focused on Kelvingrove Park, and touched her pendant. This was the furthest she had ever traveled, the only other time being from her bedroom to her grandmother's kitchen so it was expected that this jump would feel a bit different. The sound of wind enveloped her, but there was no wind. She had kept her eyes open but all she could see where millions of twinkling stars, galaxies, nebulas, and planets as they rushed by her. She thought this is what it would feel and look like to travel through a wormhole. Then a thought came unbidden to her as she realized that traveling through a wormhole was exactly what she was doing. Even though she wasn't exactly jumping through time, she was traveling faster than time itself.

Suddenly the stars slowed and darkness turned into day. The smells of nature surrounded her and assaulted all of her senses. She realized that her eyes were closed, so she opened them slowly to see her grandmother looking around in wonder. "Oh, Claire this park is beautiful. I can't believe it worked, you, my dear are one of the chosen. You have a higher power like Jessica Randall did. You can take people with you and your ability to travel will not fade once you find your true love. I am so happy for you my dear. That means you will be able to visit me or bring me back in time with you to meet your family."

Claire blushed, "Don't praise me yet Gran, we don't know if we ended up where we meant to. We need to take a walk and see if we can find out what the date is."

Her grandmother took her hand and started pulling her toward the sounds of children, "What are you waiting for, let's go find out."

Claire giggled at her grandmother's enthusiasm, released her hands, and took two long strides to catch up to her and walk next to her. "Alright gran the library was east of here and even though we are no longer worried about visiting the library, I still think it is our best bet for finding information on where we can rent a car and perhaps a place to stay."

Her grandmother turned and looked at her, "I'm not worried about a place to stay, we will figure that out as we go. But I do agree that our best source of information is the library."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, both in awe at the beauty of the historic city. Claire turned to her grandmother, "Did you want to look at any of the castles while we are here?"

Her grandmother's eyes lit up like she was a schoolgirl again, "Oh yes, which castles are near Glasgow?"

Claire pulled the new list of castles out of her pocket, "I know there are several more than what I have on my list, but I would like to visit these first and as you say, actually experience them. Crookston Castle is the closest one to the park, but I would like to have either a room or a car to put our bags down. I want to take my camera with me and photograph everything we see though."

Her grandmother smiled, "Sounds like a fine plan, we will go to the library, rent a car and find this Crookston Castle. From there it does not matter to me where we go or what we do as long as you get to experience Scotland and learn as much as you can about this country."

Claire pulled out her phone, "Gran, why are we going to the library, I can just look up rental agencies on my phone."

Her grandmother looked at her, "I didn't think your cell phone would work out of the country, go ahead and see if you get a signal."

Claire giggled, which caused her grandmother to give her a strange look, "Gran, when I decided that I wanted to visit Scotland, I bought an international sim card. My phone will work, we can just look it up and go there from here."

Her grandmother patted her on the arm, "You are such a smart young lady."

Claire pulled up google maps and typed in car rentals, a few different agencies came up, but they could reach the closest one by bus. The nearest bus stop was only a 4 minute walk from their current location. She grinned and thrust the phone in front of her grandmother, "We are in luck, the bus stop is even closer than the library."

They made their way to the bus stop, carried all of their belongings on board, and luckily found two seats next to each other. The ride on the bus took only 10 minutes before they reached their stop. Claire helped her grandmother off and explained that the car rental agency was another 4 minute walk from where the bus let them off. They found the agency easily and the clerk was quite pleasant to deal with. She rented a car in her grandmother's name since the minimum age to rent one was 30 years old and Claire was only 20 at the moment. They were lucky enough to get the only Land Rover Defender that the agency owned, even though the insurance did cost a bit more. Claire was grateful for the larger interior capacity of the SUV, which they could use to sleep in if they found themselves in a pinch. 

Even though they had planned to go the Crookston Castle first, Claire didn't know how long it would take to actually tour the castle and suggested they stop at a restaurant and eat before visiting the castle. She knew that when she took her camera out, she could get caught up in photographing a place for hours and she didn't want to make her grandmother wait that long to eat. Claire pulled up the GPS in the defender and typed in places to eat, to her surprise there was a TGIFriday's near the castle. She had hoped for some Scottish cuisine, but she figured that a familiar restaurant would due since they had not yet gotten their bearings. She tapped on the restaurant icon on the GPS screen and the GPS directed them on how to get there through the least amount of traffic. 

When they arrived, they ordered their food to go so they could have a picnic when the reached the castle ruins. Claire drove carefully toward the castle and pulled into a parking spot near the Levern Water. They would picnic next to the water then head up to check out the castle when they had finished. 

There didn't seem to be anyone else around when they approached the castle, which Claire was glad of. She could take pictures without having the feel of history ruined by people unexpectedly walking into her frame. While Claire was busy taking pictures, her grandmother walked around and toured the ruins herself. They both knew that when Claire started shooting, there was little that could distract her until she was happy that she had captured everything she set out to.

And true to Claire's habit of getting lost in her photography, they spent several hours at the small castle ruins. Claire had shot everything from the full castle and surrounding landscapes down to the textures of the stones and the moss on the trees. When she was finished she found her grandmother sitting in the shade of a tree, watching as the sunset painted the sky in the most dazzling colors imaginable. Not wanting to interrupt the moment, Claire quietly took a seat next to her and watched as the colors played across the sky and landscape, "It truly is the most beautiful place in the world isn't it."

Her grandmother smiled, "And you have only seen a small portion of it so far. Just wait until we drive north toward the highlands. You will see places that you have never imagined. There is ancient magic in Scotland that you simply cannot deny."

Claire smiled as she leaned back on her elbows and crossed her ankles, "Would it sound strange if I were to tell you that even after such a short time and only seeing a small portion of this place that Scotland feels like the home of my heart?"

Her grandmother looked over at her appraisingly, "No, my dear, that does not sound strange at all. Scotland has been calling to you and now that you have found the location of where you belong, you need to listen to your heart, do some traveling, and figure out the when of it as well. I can see by the look in your eyes that you are doubting that a week will be enough to see everything and you are right, it won't be nearly enough. But it will be a start and by the time we return to New York, your DNA results should have arrived. You will have much research to do when it does and decide from there when you want to begin traveling to. I think this trip will be plenty for you to narrow down where in Scotland you belong, and that will help you to figure out the when of where you are supposed to be as well."


	7. Chapter 7

Claire and her grandmother decided that since it was already late enough in the day for the sun to be setting that it would be best to find a place to stay for the night and begin their tour of Scotland in the morning. Claire packed her camera gear into the back of the SUV and climbed into the driver's seat. She typed 'Bed and Breakfast' into the GPS and waited while several loaded. 

They decided on one near the outskirts of town and in the direction they would be traveling to save time having to drive through town in the morning. They chose a place called Onslow Bed & Breakfast since the reviews seemed to be mostly good and the pictures showed a clean modern location where Claire could charge the batteries for her gear and perhaps even have wifi access to do a bit more planning.

They drove to the Onslow B&B without getting lost even once. Claire checked them into a room with two single beds then helped her grandmother to unload the SUV and take everything to their room for the night. Her grandmother went in to take a bath in their en suite bathroom while Claire plugged in her laptop, removed her memory card from her camera, and began uploading the picture that she had taken at Crookston Castle earlier in the day.

She was eager to see how the pictures turned out and even contemplated sharing some of them on her social media photography page. After thinking about how long it would take to respond to questions about why she was in Scotland as well as any other comments on her photography, Claire decided that it was best to wait until she returned to the states to post anything. While she loved the people that followed her photography, she wanted to focus on her trip with her grandmother.

If her grandmother was right, this would likely be their last vacation together and Claire did not want to ruin it by inviting the rest of the world to share in their time, even if it was only through pictures. She knew herself well enough to know that she could not ignore a question or comment that someone would likely make on any pictures she might post and that would only take away from their vacation.

After loading all of her pictures onto the laptop and reformatting her memory card to be ready for the next day, Claire closed down her laptop and pulled her tablet out to read one of her favorite digital books. As she opened her kindle app and scrolled through her selection of books, she realized that her favorite genres were romance and time travel. She giggled to herself at the irony of her whole situation. Not only was she a time traveler herself, but she would be traveling back in time to find her true love. If that wasn't a coincidence, she didn't know what was.

She found the place she had bookmarked in her book and let herself be drawn into the story of the Scottish warrior and his English Lover. As she read the story, she tried to imagine the places described in the book and she suddenly realized that after this trip, she would no longer have to imagine. She would be visiting many of the places mentioned in the book over the next few days. She felt giddy with anticipation and could no longer focus on her story, so she decided that she needed to go for a walk to try and calm herself enough to get some sleep.

She knocked on the bathroom door and waited for a response from her grandmother, "Gran, I'm too excited to sleep, so I am going to head out for a short walk, don't wait up for me."

She heard the water slosh a bit before her grandmother responded, "Alright dear, but don't go far, remember you don't know this city yet."

Claire rolled her eyes, "Yes, Gran. I will see you in the morning, Goodnight." Claire didn't wait for a response as she grabbed their room key of the little table between the beds.

Claire had not realized until the moment she stepped outside how far north they actually were. She had a sudden appreciation for the aurora borealis and how it lit up the world as the glorious colors danced across the sky to their own unheard melody.

Instead of going for the walk, she had planned to take to calm her excitement, she sat down on the bench located at the front of the bed and breakfast. She took a deep breath, leaned her head back against the hard exterior of the building, and stared up into the night sky.

She briefly wished that she had remembered to bring her camera out with her, but the calming effects of the northern lights made her realize that she just needed to sit there and experience the moment without looking at it through a lens. She knew she would have other opportunities to photograph it and that thought helped to ease her mind.

She wasn't aware of how long she had been sitting on the bench when a gentle hand on her shoulder startled her from her thoughts. "Lass, tis getting late. I didna mean to eavesdrop but I overheard ye talkin' with her grandmother about leavin' early in the mornin' to explore more of Scotland."

Claire stood up, "Yes, of course. Do you happen to know what time it is, I left my phone in the room and seemed to have lost track of time?"

The little old lady nodded, "Aye, tis just past 11 p.m. that's when I leave to head home."

Claire nodded, "Wow, it is getting late. I came out to take a walk and got distracted by the beauty of the sky. It seems that I've been staring at it for well over two hours. Thank you."

The little old lady smiled, "Ye have a goodnight lass and welcome to Scotland. I hope ye find what yer searchin' for."

Claire returned the smile, "Thank you again, I have a feeling that I'm right where I need to be to find exactly what I'm looking for."

Claire watched as the older lady walked down the lane away from the Bed & Breakfast's main office and turned the corner, disappearing from sight. She turned her attention back to the dancing lights in the sky once more, bid them a silent goodnight, and made her way back inside. She entered the room quietly so as not to wake her grandmother, who was slumbering peacefully in one of the single beds.

Claire tiptoed across the room, removed her nightclothes from her bag, and slipped soundlessly into the en suite bathroom. She knew that the sound of water running to take a shower or fill the tub for a bath would likely wake her grandmother, so she opted to wash her face, brush her teeth and hair then change her clothes before returning to the room and falling into bed. She set her alarm to wake up a bit earlier than they had planned so she could take a quick shower in the morning before they set off on their adventure.

As soon as Claire's head hit the pillow, she fell into a deep sleep filled with lifelike dreams that even in sleep she recognized as her body projecting. The difference between her controlled projections and those that happened during her dreams were her ability to control where she projected to and her actions during the projections. During her dream state projections, her subconscious seemed to be in control of all of her decisions which sometimes could make them quite interesting.

Claire quickly realized that this projection was different than any other she had experienced and briefly wondered if it had anything to do with her finally being in Scotland. She found herself walking through a beautiful garden full of various types of flowers. She heard the sound of horses in the distance and her feet carried her toward the sound. The closer she got, the more distinct the sounds became and she realized that she could hear a man's voice intermixed with the sounds of the horses neighing. The deep rich voice was beautiful and soothed her ears as well as her soul. She felt herself being drawn to the voice, she had a yearning to find out who the man was, whose musical voice called to her.

She stepped out of the garden and followed a path through a thick forest and finally emerged into a small clearing. There was a fenced in area in the middle of the clearing where two very large black horses stood looking at a man. Claire gasped at the sight of the man, he was the most exquisite creature she had ever seen. He was the tallest man she had ever encountered, standing at least 6 1/2 feet tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. From what she could see of him, she decided that he was built like a warrior. She knew from the burr of his voice that he was of Scottish descent, but even if she hadn't heard his voice, the red curls cascading over his head to just barely tickle his shoulders were a dead giveaway to his genetic heritage. 

She was afraid that the sound of her heart pounding in her chest would draw the attention of the horses, which would cause him to turn toward the disturbance as well. She walked cautiously closer, carefully choosing each step she took, so as not to step on a dry twig and cause the crack of it to draw attention to her. She wanted more time to observe the glorious tall stranger before he became aware of her existence. She crept as close as the tree line would allow, keeping herself hidden from the stranger. She watched as he moved around the large horses, completely in command of his body. His kilt swished about his legs, enhancing the graceful movements of his body. He had removed his shirt long before she arrived, probably due to the humidity and the torturous work he was doing as he trained the two draft horses.

He spoke to the horses in a language vaguely familiar to Claire as he walked around each of them, touching them in key places on their bodies to calm them as he moved. The smaller of the two horses seemed to have a stubborn streak and when the man spoke to the horse and didn't receive the intended response, the man raised his hands, placed them on the horse's chest, and pushed him back. The muscles in the man's back rippled with the effort and Claire's heart began to beat hard enough she could hear the thundering of it in her ears.

The horse's ears twitched and turned toward the tree that she had hidden behind. She longed to end her projection before the man caught her voyeuristic activities, but because she was in a dream state, she had no control over when her projection ended. She sucked in a breath and kept completely still, willing the tall red haired man not to notice how the horse's attention was no longer on him. However, to her dismay, the man was quite attuned to the animal's behavior and his surroundings and his attention turned toward her as well.

He patted the neck of each of the horses, walked toward the fence closest to her, and scooped up a sword from the ground that she had not noticed laying there before. He drew the sword from its sheath, dropping the sheath on the ground and began walking defensively toward her, hurdling his body over the fence with the grace of a large cat. Then he increased the volume of his voice from the soft murmur he had used to speak to the horses, "Whose there. I ken yer out there. I can hear ye breathing."

Claire's eyes grew wide and she silently contemplated her options. She was aware that she had no control over what she chose to do or say in a dream state, but she prayed that her subconscious mind would make the right choice. But before she even realized what was happening, she stepped out from behind the tree and curtsied to the stranger. She furrowed her brow and wondered why she had chosen to greet the man in such an archaic fashion. Then she surprised herself again when she began to introduce herself, "Pardon me, sir, I was just taking a stroll through the castle gardens when I heard the sound of the horses. I love horses and was drawn to them, I am so sorry for my intrusion."

To her utter astonishment, the man chuckled, "No need to apologize, lass, I welcome such intrusions from a lass as bonnie as yer self any day. Tis my pleasure to meet ye, mistress, the name is James Fraser, but ye may call me Jamie. The stubborn horse here is Derfail and the larger one is called Cadarn. Would ye like to come over and meet them properly?"

Claire nodded, "Yes, I would love that is if you don't mind the interruption."

Jamie shook his head, "No' at all, come."

Claire smiled and took a step closer to him, keeping enough distance between them so that he would not touch her and end the dream.

Jamie turned and led the way back to the horses with her following a few steps behind him. When they reached the fence, Jamie lifted a booted foot and rested it on the lowest rung of the fence as he leaned his folded forearms on the top rung. Claire was a bit shorter than him, well more than a bit. He was almost a foot taller than her and the top rung of the fence cut straight through her line of sight to the horses. She climbed up to stand on the bottom rung of the fence and stretched as tall as she could to hang on to the top rung with a tight grip as her chin barely cleared the rail.

To her dismay, Jamie chuckled at her predicament, "Would ye like some help there lass?"

Claire glowered at him, "No thank you. I have got this."

Jamie grinned the most beautiful smile, making his eyes sparkle, "I am no' so sure about that lass."

Claire turned her attention back to the horses who seemed to be ignoring both her and Jamie and were more entertained with tormenting each other. "You know I have a name, you don't have to keep calling me lass."

Jamie stepped away from the fence, placed his hand over his heart and bowed gallantly to her, "Beggin' yer pardon mistress, but ye have no' given me yer name."

Claire blushed and climbed down from the fence and curtsied to him, "I am so sorry, you are right, please I beg your pardon for my rudeness, sir, my name is Claire, Claire Beauchamp."

She extended her hand to shake his, he looked up at her with a quizzical look from his bowed position that suddenly morphed into a crooked smile as he reached out to take her hand in his at the same time he leaned his head forward as if he was going to place a kiss upon her hand. But the moment his hand and lips came into contact with her hand she woke up in the B&B, breathless and longing to know everything she could about Jamie Fraser.


	8. Chapter 8

Claire could already feel the details of the dream slipping from her mind, so she scrambled off the bed and dug into her bag in search of something to write with. When she came up empty handed, she sat back on her heels in defeat. She must have made quite a bit of noise because a moment later, her grandmother's voice cutting through the darkness startled her, "Claire, what are you looking for so late at night my dear?"

Claire sighed, "Gran, I had another dream, but this one was different, it seemed vital that I remember everything but I can't find anything to write down the details of my dream."

Her grandmother leaned forward and placed a hand on Claire's shoulder, "Just use your laptop, Claire, surely that will do just as well as paper and pen would."

Claire buried her face in her hands in embarrassment, "Oh my God, you are right. Thanks, Gran, you should go back to sleep, I will take my laptop into the bathroom so the light doesn't disturb your rest."

Claire got up off of the floor and walked over to the small desk in the corner of their rented room, unplugged her laptop, and retreated to the bathroom. She put the lid down on the toilet, sat down, and opened her laptop. She logged in and opened a new Word document to record the details of her dream. She recorded the name of the man she had met and underlined his name to mark it as important. She made a detailed description of him and the location she found herself in, hoping to tour the castle she had seen in the distance during their vacation in Scotland. She only wished she had thought to ask Jamie more about where she was. Perhaps if she could project to him in her dreams again, her subconscious mind would think to ask him what year it was and perhaps where they were. Somehow, she knew that Jamie was important to her future, but without the knowledge of where she could find him or in what years he had lived, it would be nearly impossible to travel there.

When she was finished listing everything she could remember, she closed her laptop, went back into the bedroom, and crawled into bed. She placed her laptop on the table that separated her bed from her grandmother's, just in case she had another dream that deemed worthy of recording.

She laid back on her pillow, folded her hands over her chest, and closed her eyes, falling asleep within moments. As she drifted off, she hoped to meet Jamie in her dreams again, but alas she only had ordinary dreams for the remainder of the night.

Claire slept right through her alarm and was awoken by her grandmother shaking her gently, "Claire, you must get up now. We have a long day of traveling ahead of us and I know you had mentioned wanting to take a shower before we leave. I have already showered, but hopefully, there is plenty of hot water left for you to wash."

Claire rubbed her eyes and sat up, offering her grandmother a sleepy smile, "Thanks, Gran. I'll try not to take to long. Why don't you go downstairs and see if they offer anything for breakfast, while I take a shower and get ready."

An hour later, after enjoying a full Scottish breakfast provided by the owner of the bed and breakfast, the two of them were on the road to discover as much of the lowlands and highlands as their short vacation would allow. They decided to head across the country to the eastern coast and visit Edinburgh next. Edinburgh Castle was one of the most well known in Scotland and both Claire and her grandmother were eager to visit it and find out if Claire felt a pull to it. 

Claire's grandmother had read the word document that Claire had written about her dream the night before and she was more determined than ever to help Claire figure out the where of her dream. She knew that if they could narrow that down, figuring out the year she needed to travel to would be made much simpler. Since Claire had mentioned a large castle, her grandmother thought visiting the larger castles in Scotland was the perfect way to narrow down the location of where Claire belonged and Edinburgh Castle definitely fit the bill. The GPS indicated that the drive should only take a bit more than an hour to reach Edinburgh, if traffic wasn't too congested. 

The further Claire drove into the heart of the country, the more she felt a pull in her bones toward it. She knew in her heart that Scotland was where she belonged and the thought of calling such a beautiful lush country her home, made her feel giddy with excitement. When they arrived at Edinburgh castle the first thing they came upon was the Esplanade. Claire had pulled up information on her phone about the castle from the castle's website and read the description of the area to her grandmother. "Edinburgh Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe. With a long rich history as a royal residence, military garrison, prison, and fortress, it is alive with many exciting tales. When you climb Castle Hill, you will walk in the footsteps of soldiers, kings and queens – and even the odd pirate or two.

As well as guarding great moments in history, the castle has suffered many sieges. During the Wars of Independence, it changed hands many times. In 1314, the Scots retook the castle from the English in a daring night raid led by Thomas Randolph, nephew of Robert the Bruce.

The castle defenses have evolved over hundreds of years. Mons Meg, one of the greatest medieval cannons ever made, was given to King James II in 1457. The Half Moon Battery, built in the aftermath of the Lang Siege of 1573, was armed for 200 years by bronze guns known as the Seven Sisters. Six more guns defend the Argyle Battery, with its open outlook to the north."

Her grandmother looked at her with a gleam of excitement in her eyes, "Well, what are we waiting for, let's go check out this medieval fortress, shall we."

There were quite a few things to notice about the castle even before they arrived at the gates. They stepped onto the Esplanade, which was the open area before the castle, then walked toward the entrance and approached The Spur lines which represented walls that had once existed as the initial defense of the castle, and then they walked through the Gatehouse "This is the Gatehouse it was built on the far side of the castle’s ancient moat simply to make the castle look more imposing. The bronze statues standing on either side of the entrance are of King Robert the Bruce and William Wallace."

They passed through the Victorian gatehouse and followed the path to the Portcullis Gatehouse. "This is called the Portcullis Gatehouse. This fortified gateway was built almost 450 years ago in the wake of the devastating Lang Siege. Three sets of heavy wooden doors once sat alongside the iron gate to ward off intruders. The top floor – Argyle Tower – was added in the 1880s. It says here that we should look for lions, a symbol of royalty. The narrow rock gully here has been the entrance to the stronghold since prehistoric times. The gatehouse itself dates to the 1300s, although it has been rebuilt many times. Almost every visitor has passed through this point, from Redcoat soldiers to Iron Age warriors, kings and queens to columns of prisoners – even a regimental elephant and now tourists from all over the world."

Once they had passed under the spikes of the raised Portcullis gate, they were rewarded with the view of the Argyle battery in front of them. "This is the Argyle battery, this six-gun battery was built in the 1730s before the final Jacobite Rising against the British government. At the time, the castle was still very much a key government stronghold and was refortified against an anticipated attack that eventually arrived with Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. Its open outlook to the north provided an ideal vantage point for defending the castle. The cannons in position now date from about 1810, the time of the Napoleonic Wars with France."

Claire was eager to see all of the castle, but decided to take the stairs to her left up to the next level, "These are the Lang stairs, there are 70 steps in total and lead to the summit of Castle Rock, do you wish to go up and take a look?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "No, not right now, I would like to keep looking around on this level, what's next?"

Claire sighed in defeat, hoping she would get a chance to climb the stairs before the left the castle. She looked down at the itinerary on her phone to see what was ahead of them, "Just up ahead we will find the One o'clock gun, Scotland’s most explosive timekeeper. The 105mm field gun is fired every day at 1 pm, except Sundays, Good Friday, and Christmas Day. The practice goes back to 1861 when the blast signaled the time to ships in the Firth of Forth, it helped to tell the captains of the ships what time it was so they could set their watches by it."

They continued to tour Edinburgh castle for the next few hours, even eating lunch in the Red Coat Cafe "This building started life as a storekeeper’s house in the 1600s. It was extended as a cart shed in 1746 after the defeat of the last Jacobite Rising. Now it is a café with spectacular views over the city."

Her grandmother patted her hand, "Alright, enough of the history lessons, for now, let's just sit here and enjoy our lunch as we look out over the city."

Claire nodded, "Yes, sorry Gran, I just got so excited to be sharing all of this with you. What would you like to do after lunch, now that we have toured the entire castle?"

Her grandmother thought for a moment as she tapped her finger on her chin. "Why don't we travel north, I heard some other castle tourists talking about a place called Perth."

Claire nodded, "Let me look it up and see how far away it is. If it is too far, we might get there and decide to stay there for the night."

Her grandmother smiled as she took another bite of her lunch.

Claire quickly found the city of Perth, "It looks like it is only about an hour and a half from here, the route takes us along the coast for a bit then we will turn back to the north. We could also just jump on the M90 and head straight north, that route will take about an hour, but I think I am more inclined to take the scenic route and see as much of Scotland as we can in our limited amount of time. It sounds like as good of a place as any to me and I did want this trip to take us north to the highlands."

Her grandmother swallowed her bite and patted Claire's hand, "Good, let's finish this and then be on our way. I think the scenic route sounds much more appealing than jumping onto a freeway just to save a bit of time."

They finally made it back to the SUV, Claire stowed her camera gear, climbed into the drivers seat and punched Perth Scotland into the GPS. Her grandmother took Claire's phone and opened up the Google app, "I wonder if there are any castles in Perth worth seeing."

Claire furrowed her brow, "You, know I think there are a few of them and one quite notable. If I remember correctly from the bit of research I was able to find, I want to say that the Scone Palace was the place where all Scottish royalty was crowned, I'm pretty sure it is one of the places on my list that I wanted to visit."

Her grandmother ginned, "Great since it only takes an hour and a half to reach Perth, what do you say about making the Scone Palace our first stop?"

Claire nodded emphatically, "That sounds like a great plan to me Gran. Punch it into the GPS and it should give us directions straight to it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The details of Edinburgh castle come from the 3D model, I suggest taking a look if you can't physically tour Edinburgh Castle.  
> https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/edinburgh-castle-b494fdf5e2754259bc90c536b18fcfff
> 
> I know this seems like it is taking forever to get going, but trust me, there are important facts being revealed. This chapter was mostly to immerse the two of them into Scotland, but from here it moves the story along.


	9. Chapter 9

During the drive from Edinburgh to Perth, Claire and her grandmother had decided to stop and take in any sight they came across on the way. For the most part, they passed crops, cottages, and towns, but eventually, Claire's grandmother noticed a sign for a castle not too far from where they were on the B996 motorway. "Claire look, it says there is another castle, just take the next right onto Sandport."

Claire nodded and turned when they approached the road. "Alright Gran, where to now?"

Her grandmother looked at the map on the GPS, "Follow this until it reaches a crossroad, at Pier road then take a right. Follow that until we reach the Loch Leven National Nature Reserve Office. We can take a ferry from there to reach the castle."

Claire did as her grandmother directed and within minutes they were pulling into the parking lot of the Nature Reserve Office. Claire climbed out and took her camera gear from the back of the vehicle and walked around to meet her grandmother at the side, "Alright gran, let's go. I'm eager to see this castle, I didn't even know about this one."

Her grandmother grinned, "I thought that was likely the case since you didn't mention it as a place to stop on our route to Perth."

They walked toward the sign that indicated the ferry office and when they rounded the corner of the building they notice several other people either standing or sitting on benches and waiting. Claire handed her grandmother her camera gear and sent her to claim one of the empty benches that were still available. She then walked over to the little window under the ferry office sign and noticed the young man no more than 16 years old, sitting inside, "Hello there, could you tell me when the next ferry will be?"

The young man looked up from the book he was reading, "Oh, aye. Let's see, it should be here in about half an hour, would ye like to buy a ticket?"

Claire nodded, "Yes, please, I would like to purchase two tickets actually."

Claire smiled and passed her credit card to the young man. The young man took the card, turned to his computer punched in something, and printed two tickets. He swiped her card and waited for a receipt to print then handed her back the card, her receipt, and the two tickets. "Here ye are lass, there is also a couple of brochures that tell about the history of the castle as well, enjoy your visit to Lochleven Castle."

Claire took everything, shoved her card back into the back pocket of her jeans, and thanked the boy as she turned away and walked over to join her grandmother. She sat down next to her grandmother, passed her the two tickets and one of the brochures as she opened the other one and began to read, "Listen to this Gran, Lochleven Castle is a late 14th or early 15th century tower where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567. Mary Queen of Scots spent a year at the castle as a prisoner and was forced to abdicate before dramatically escaping."

Her grandmother looked over at her, "Well I'm glad we decided to stop, it seems this castle is of great historical importance."

Claire nodded, "So it would seem."

Claire's grandmother went back to reading her own brochure, while Claire opened her backpack and took out her camera and her favorite architecture lens. She took the 135 mm lens off of her camera body, replaced the back cap, and put it snuggly into the backpack. She removed the back cap from her 17-40 mm lens, placed it on the camera body then removed the lens cap so she could adjust her setting for the available light.

Her grandmother nudged her while she was looking through her lens and deciding on shutter speed, aperture, and ISO settings for taking pictures of the castle. She pulled her eye away from the viewfinder and looked over at her grandmother, "What is it, Gran?"

Her grandmother pointed toward the bay, "The ferry is pulling in, you had better put that away for the ride across to the castle."

Claire shook her head, "Gran, I got it ready so that I could take pictures on our way over as well as when we arrive. My camera will be fine, I bought this model because of its durability, the lens and camera are water resistant and its a beautiful day, I doubt we have anything to worry about."

Her grandmother shrugged, "If you say so, but if something happens to your gear, don't say I didn't warn you."

Claire chuckled, "Gran, I have insurance on all my gear, but thank you for the warning."

Claire picked up her gear bag and together the two women walked over to board the ferry. Claire immediately made a beeline for the bow of the ferry as her grandmother took a seat within her line of sight. Claire leaned on the railing, camera in hand, and waited for the ferry to move out into open water before taking any shots. She wanted to capture the castle and the surrounding landscape to portray it amongst the beauty of Scotland. 

As the ferry pulled away from the dock a voice came over the loud speaker, "Welcome to the Lochleven Castle Ferry, when we arrive on the island, ye will all have an hour to explore the castle and island. It would be wise to set an alarm so that ye dinna miss the return ride. If ye miss the return ferry, ye will be charged for an additional ticket upon returning to the mainland. There isna any foul weather today, so the crossing should be uneventful."

Claire pulled her phone from her gear bag and set her alarm for one hour. She would be allowing herself less than an hour once they arrived on the island, but the early alarm would ensure that she would not miss the ferry. 

Claire knew herself well enough to know that she would get lost in her photography and run out of time to photograph what she deemed as important objects or angles. So on the ferry ride over to the small island, she devised a plan to ensure that she captured those angles and objects first, then with whatever time remained, she would photograph anything that caught her fancy. Claire took a few distant shots of the castle ruins on the ferry ride over to the island and then when they finally arrived at the island she took her grandmother's hand when they disembarked so that she could speak with her briefly, "Gran, you know how I get when I am in my photography zone, time seems to slip away from me and before I know it hours have passed. I need to get my most important shots first then fill whatever remaining time I have with other shots I would like. So I think the best plan would be for me to go and take my shots, while you do whatever it is you wish to do while we are on the island and I will meet you back here in about 40 minutes."

Her grandmother patted her shoulder, "My dear, I expected as much when I heard the announcement, go and enjoy yourself and get your photographs. I don't plan on going far, so I should be able to spot you when you are finished."

Claire smiled gratefully at her grandmother, "Thanks, Gran, you know me so well. I will see you in a bit."

The two of them parted ways, her grandmother walking leisurely toward some flowers as Claire strode with determination to the far side of the castle wall to shoot the angle she wished most to get. Since the castle was smaller than some that Claire had visited, it didn't take long for her to get her top shots. She glanced at the clock on her phone intermittently to gauge her remaining time as she continued to meander around the castle and photograph anything that caught her eye. Claire had just made it back around to the front of the castle, where the docks were located when her alarm sounded. She got into a good position and photographed the castle from the front, moved a bit, and shot a few more frames. 

As she was standing back up from her squatting position, she felt a hand on her shoulder, "Did you get everything you wanted to photograph, my dear?"

Claire nodded as she turned to look at her grandmother, "I believe so, an hour doesn't seem like much when you are talking about it, but I think for this castle, it was the perfect amount of time. And from the sound behind me, I would say that it is time to board the ferry and continue on our journey toward Perth."

They boarded the ferry with the rest of the passengers and Claire sat with her grandmother, showing her the pictures she had taken on their way back. Once the ferry docked on the mainland again, Claire and her grandmother decided to go into the little bistro next to the ferry office for a quick bite before getting back on the road.

They ordered their food, ate as they chatted about the castle, and giggled at the thought that Mary Queen of Scots had ever been held captive in such a small place. They briefly wondered how many men it had taken to keep her there, but soon their discussion turned to their destination in Perth. Claire paid the bill and the two of them gathered the camera gear and their to go boxes and returned to their rental vehicle.

Claire's grandmother helped her stow everything in the back of the SUV before putting a hand on her arm, "Claire, why don't you let me drive the rest of the way to Perth so that you can get a chance to view the scenery." 

Claire smiled and passed her grandmother the keys, "All right Gran but remember we drive on the left side of the road in Scotland."

Her grandmother accepted the keys and rolled her eyes, "This is not my first time driving in Europe my dear, I'm well aware that America does things backward from the rest of the world. Now get in before I make you walk the rest of the way."

Claire chuckled, "Do you forget, Gran, I could just jump there?"

Her grandmother ignored her and climbed into the driver's seat. Once they were both buckled in she glanced over at Claire, "You could jump, but then you would not only miss the beauty of Scotland you would miss my company."

Claire sighed, "Alright, you make a valid point, you win, okay"

He grandmother grinned and started the vehicle, "That's all I wanted to hear."

As her grandmother drove along, Claire noticed that the rest of the journey toward Perth wasn't much different than the first part. There were still so many fields and crops you couldn't even attempt to count them, and the occasional rustic looking cottage as well as livestock here and there, but for the most part, it was all the same. Claire decided that she wouldn't miss anything of great importance and had enough time for a short catnap while her grandmother drove them the rest of the way to Perth.

_Claire found herself walking in the same garden as she had in her dreams the previous night and immediately realized that she must be dream projecting again. She listened for the sounds of horses but could hear nothing. Her feet carried her along the same path through the garden and into the woods. She walked as far as she had before, but the fenced in area was gone and so were the two horses and Jamie Fraser._

_She looked around and noticed that there were no traces that any of it had even been there. She walked over to where the horses and Jamie would have been standing when she first spotted them, but the earth beneath her feet was unmarred as if it had never seen human nor animal traffic._

_She furrowed her brow and spun in a slow circle, looking for anything that would indicate the presence of life. But there was nothing, not even a broken twig laying on the ground._

_She wondered what she should do next, but before she could make a conscious decision her feet began carrying her back in the direction she had originally come from._

_She walked through the woods and stepped out into the garden. She looked up and realized that she hadn't gotten a good look at the castle in her last dream. The massive palace that stood before her was magnificent in its grandeur. As she stared up in awe at the towering structure a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She looked over and notice there were people everywhere, but something about them struck her as odd, however, she couldn't put her finger on it. She walked closer to try and talk to one of them, perhaps they would know where she could find Jamie._

_She followed the path between two large sets of hedges and quickly became confused about the direction she was heading. Then a moment later she rounded a corner in what seemed like a maze and walked right into someone else's back._

_She looked up to apologize and found herself drowning in familiar cerulean blue eyes. "Jamie?"_

_He smiled down at her, "Aye, I was hopin' if I came back here that I might find ye again."_

_Claire blushed and lowered her gaze in embarrassment but as she did, she noticed his attire and frowned. Jamie wasn't wearing a kilt or anything even remotely similar to the period of clothing he had been wearing on their first encounter. He was dressed in faded blue jeans that hugged his muscular thighs and buttocks, a white button up dress shirt that revealed a finely sculpted torso, and a worm brown leather jacket that seemed to fit his personality as much as his kilt had._

_She shook her head and realized that Jamie had said something to her, "I'm sorry, I must have zoned out there for a minute, what were you saying?"_

_Jamie chuckled and it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard, "I said that either I have conjured the most beautiful woman to join me in my dreams or you must be like me."_

_Claire furrowed her brow, even more confused by his words than by the modern attire he wore. "What do you mean someone like you?"_

_Jamie shook his head, "Ach, nevermind. If ye are like me, ye will figure it out. Regardless I hope to see ye again, verra soon."_

_He leaned down closing his eyes, his lips coming closer to her cheek. But just like the night before, when his lips touched her skin, she woke up with a start._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Facts about Lochleven Castle from visitscotland.com


	10. Chapter 10

Claire rubbed her eyes to dispel the sleep and looked around. Her grandmother cast a glance toward her before returning her attention to the road in front of her. "It sounded like you were dreaming. Was it an actual dream or were you projecting?"

Claire looked at her grandmother, her mouth agape at her grandmother's observation. "I'm not really sure now. I'm not sure that the dream I had last night wasn't just a dream either."

Her grandmother furrowed her brow and hazarded another quick glance at her. "What do you mean, can't you tell the difference?"

Claire frowned, "Well yes, I mean usually I can, but something about the two dreams when compared to each other just doesn't make sense."

Her grandmother's expression relaxed into one of understanding, although Claire didn't know why since she was still so confused herself. "I didn't get a chance to read about the dream you had last night yet, so perhaps it would help if you told me about both of them and I can help you sort it all out."

Claire nodded, "Yes, perhaps that will help me to put them in perspective. Alright well, last night after I came inside from staring up at the stars for a few hours I dreamed I was in a time long ago. I don't exactly know when I was in my dream but I was wearing clothing from at least a few hundred years ago, if not more. 

I found myself in a beautiful castle garden and I was drawn by the sounds of horses to a nearby forest. I followed a path that led to a small clearing where the most beautiful man I had ever seen was working with a pair of draft horses. 

He was wearing a kilt so I knew he was from Scotland. Then when he spoke his voice was like velvet to my ears. He introduced himself to me as James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser and I introduced myself to him. But when he reached out to take my hand and bowed to place a kiss on the back of it, I woke up. That's why I thought it was a projection."

Her grandmother nodded, "Sounds like one to me, tell me about the dream you just had so we can figure out why you are unsure if it was a projection or just a dream."

Claire relaxed in her seat a bit and looked out the windscreen as she started to tell her grandmother about her most recent dream. "I again found myself in the beautiful garden and my feet carried me into the forest again. But there was no sign of the horses or Jamie. It was as if none of it had ever even happened. The ground was virgin and showed no evidence that anyone or anything had ever been there.

Then suddenly before I could form a thought, my feet carried me back in the direction I had come from. I noticed the beautiful castle for the first time but was distracted by movement. 

I had noticed several people at a distance and decided to go to them and ask after Jamie. But I found myself lost in some type of garden maze and lost my bearings.

I turned a corner and ran smack into someone else. When I looked up, I realized that it was Jamie, but he was wearing modern clothes, as was everyone else now that I think about it.

But he said something that confused me. He said that he either conjured me into his dreams or I was someone like him. I don't understand what that could mean."

Suddenly her grandmother pulled the car to the side of the road and took Claire's hand, "Do you know where this castle was, perhaps what it was called?"

Claire furrowed her brow, "Well, no. I don't even know what years I was in, what does it matter what castle I was at?"

Her grandmother shook her head a patted Claire's hand, I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. The castle doesn't actually matter that much unless this Jamie of yours has some kind of attachment to the place."

Claire frowned again, "He didn't seem to, at least not the second time. He said he hoped by returning there he might find me. Perhaps he thinks I have an attachment to the castle."

Claire's eyes grew wide with realization, "Wait, you think he's real and I didn't just dream him up?"

Her grandmother smiled knowingly, "Yes, I believe he is real."

Claire's eyes grew even wider as she gasped and brought her hand up to cover her mouth and whispered, "Oh my God, that's what he meant by someone like him."

Her grandmother nodded with a grin, "He did indeed."

A small smile began to stretch across Claire's lips, "He's a traveler, like me, like us."

Her grandmother released her hand and pulled the car back onto the road, "Yes, it would seem so."

Claire furrowed her brow, "But won't that make it harder for me to find him?"

Her grandmother's face became sullen, "Yes, I don't think it's possible to find him until your dream projections allow time for one or both of you to reveal enough information to find one another. Unfortunately, we have no control over our dream projections, not where or when we go, not what we do or even what we say. But it seems as though there is a greater power drawing the two of you together in your dreams, so perhaps it won't take to long for all to be revealed."

Claire slumped in her seat, and pouted, "So it seems I have found out who my soulmate is, but I don't know where or when to find him. That's not the least bit encouraging at all. Maybe we should just go home."

Her grandmother looked over at her in sympathy, "Don't lose hope just yet, my dear. You said he was clearly Scottish and you didn't begin to dream of him until our first night in Scotland, I think your answers are here, you just have to be patient and search them out.

Besides if he is indeed a traveler as well, he could be from any time period, so it's still worth learning whatever you can about the history of this place."

Claire still felt defeated and just wanted to give up the search, "But Gran if he's a traveler too, we could live in any time we wish, it won't matter about the history."

Her grandmother shook her head, "That's not how it works, yes there is one person you belong with, but there is also a time and place where you belong. There is an order to things and you could cause a ripple effect with unknown consequences if you go about it willy nilly choosing when and where you want to exist. Your presence in a certain time is vital to history. If you exist in the wrong time or don't exist when you should it could cause terrible things to happen. We simply cannot risk that. You will find your place and time and it might not be when either of you are from, but you will be drawn there, just like you keep being drawn to Jamie. Trust your heart, it will lead you to where you are meant to be."

Claire huffed in defeat, "Fine, but I'm voicing my opinion so you know, I don't like it one bit, it's not fair."

Her grandmother chuckled, "Now you just sound like a spoiled child and I happen to know since I am the one who raised you, that you are anything but. Now pull yourself together and enjoy our vacation, you might just find what you are looking for when you least expect it."

Claire schooled her features and sat up straighter, "I'm sorry for my behavior, Gran, you are absolutely right. We are on an adventure and I need to enjoy it while I can."

Her grandmother patted her hand in acknowledgment and the two remained silent for a while longer. Then after a bit, Claire' gasped, "Gran, do you know what this means?"

Her grandmother glanced over at her, a confused expression on her face, "I'm afraid you have lost me, dear. Do I know what, what means?"

Claire shook her head, "Sorry, Gran, I was lost in my thoughts. Do you know what it means that both me and Jamie are travelers?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "I don't know what you are referring to, but I am sure you are about to tell me."

Claire grinned, "Gran, I won't be tethered to one certain time. I mean yes I will have to find my time and exist there, but that doesn't mean that we can't take vacations to other times. It can be just like when I was learning to project and traveled to Volcanos and the moon. We can go into the future or into the past and have short little adventures."

Her grandmother rolled her eyes, "Well, yes to a certain extent you could, but remember what I said about traveling into the future. You can go no further into the future than if you were to have remained in your own time."

Claire furrowed her brow and nodded in understanding and then suddenly her eyes lit up, "Gran, you just gave me a clue."

Her grandmother frowned at her, "A clue, about what?"

Claire grinned like the Cheshire cat, "You said you can't travel further into the future than your own existence. We know that the same is true for projecting, right?"

Her grandmother glanced over at her, still confused where she was going with this line of thought. "Yes, so...?"

Claire bounced in her seat, "That means that Jamie is from the future, or at least from the same time period I am from. We could not have met in our projections wearing modern clothes in an obviously modern day if he was not at least from that time, right?"

Her grandmother's expression changed to one of understanding, "Yes, I see where you are going with this, perhaps it won't be so hard to find Jamie."

Claire bounced in her seat, the excitement practically oozing out of her, "Right, I can do a google search for him."

Her grandmother chuckled, "Yes, my dear, I suppose you can, but Fraser is a common name in these parts, the search might not be as easy as you are expecting it to be."

Claire nodded in understanding, but her excitement could not be diminished, "That might be so, but it will be much simpler than if I had to search over the past 2000 years. Now I know that I can narrow my search to say the past thirty years."

Her grandmother frowned at her, "Do you think he is in his thirties, then?"

Claire shrugged, "No, but you never can tell a man's age by just looking at him. But if I narrow my search too far, I might be looking in the wrong place."

Her grandmother conceded, "Yes, I suppose that is true. But let's wait to do your research until we find a place to rest for the night. We are almost to the palace and I know that you are going to want to focus on taking pictures when we arrive."

Claire settled down and agreed, "Yes, you are absolutely right."

They settled into a comfortable silence for the rest of the drive and when the palace came into view, Claire nearly bolted from her seat. She gripped the dash as her mouth gaped open and her voice came out in barely a whisper, "Gran, this is the castle in my dreams."

Her grandmother looked over at her in alarm, "Are you certain?"

Claire nodded in wonder, "Yes, I am sure of it, there should be beautiful gardens in the back and a small forest beyond that."

Her grandmother pulled into the parking area and walked around to open Claire's door for her since she seemed to be frozen in her seat. "Claire, do you want to take your camera?"

Claire shook her head, "No, Gran. I need to just walk around. I need to see if I can find Jamie."

Her grandmother placed a calming hand on her shoulder, "I can see that you are not in the right frame of mind to focus on your photography, but don't get your hopes up about finding Jamie, he might not be here."

Claire nodded, "I know, but I have to look."

As the two of them wandered around the palace grounds, with no sign of Jamie, Clarie became more and more discouraged. She found her thoughts drifting to how she would be able to find him. Her job at the law firm allowed her access to all kinds of databases which would now come in handy for her search. Even if Jamie didn't have a presence on social media, she could use her sleuthing skills to track him down. A grin slowly spread across her face, when she realized that finding Jamie was just a matter of keystrokes away and before long she would be able to touch him in person and know what his lips felt like on her skin, rather than disappearing before the sensation could register in her brain.

Suddenly she picked up her pace, "Gran, he's not here, but I know how I can find him. Let's enjoy the rest of our vacation, I won't be able to access the software from here. I need to return to New York and get permission from my bosses to use their databases to narrow down where he might be."

Her grandmother looked at her with concern in her eyes, "Do you think that is the best approach?"

Claire nodded, "Yes, well, I will only do that if I can't find any more clues while we are here. I will do everything I can to find him with the time we have left here, but I have a feeling that I will need a bit of help."

Her grandmother didn't agree or disagree, but picked up her pace to match Claire's and they quickly returned to their rental vehicle. "Do you want to find something to eat before we decide where to go next?"

Claire looked over her shoulder at her grandmother as they approached the car, sounds good to me. But I'm driving now, you can search the GPS for a nice Scottish restaurant."

They climbed in the SUV and her grandmother typed in 'Scottish Restaurant near Scone Palace'. "It looks like the closest one is 'North Port Scottish Restaurant', it has 4.7 stars, it says here that it's a stone built restaurant with a cozy dining room and a menu of seasonal Scottish dishes."

Claire looked over at her and passed her the phone "Here, Gran, use my phone, and see if you can access their menu."

Her grandmother took the phone from her, opened the google app, and pulled up the website. She scanned through the menu and her eyes lit up, "Oh, look, they have pan seared scallops, and dark chocolate parfait for dessert and everything is at a great price."

Claire smiled, "Yum, you know how I love scallops and dark chocolate, okay, it's settled, give me the directions to get there."

Her grandmother chuckled and selected the restaurant as their destination on the GPS and Claire eagerly followed the directions.

They arrived and were seated promptly. The waiter took their order and they didn't have to wait long for their meal to be presented to them. They both over indulged after seeing the full menu and ended up ordering a few different dishes to try. They took their leftovers with them and headed back to the rental vehicle to find a place to stay for the night. Once they were back in the vehicle Claire looked over at her grandmother, "I know it's a bit late to look at any other tourist attractions, but what do you say we drive a bit further north before finding a place for the night?"

Her grandmother looked at her inquisitively, "Are you in a hurry to get somewhere?"

Claire shook her head, "No, not really, I just feel a need to go further north, I can't really explain it, I just have this urge to keep going."

Her grandmother's expression softened, "Of course, we will follow wherever your heart leads us."

As Claire followed her heart, it led her to the east instead of North and she found herself driving toward Aberdeen and loving every minute of the hour long drive to get there. When they got close her grandmother typed 'Bed and Breakfast' into the GPS and noticed there was one that would interest Claire, "Look at this B&B it is in an old church in fact it is called 'The Auld Kirk', do you want to stay there?"

Claire nodded, "Sounds good to me, select it and we will go straight there. I am about ready to crawl into bed a get a nice refreshing night's sleep."

They pulled into the parking area about 20 minutes later and Claire and her grandmother gathered their things and made their way inside. Luckily there was one room left available when they arrived. They paid for the room then went in search of their lodgings for the night.

Claire wasn't joking when she said she needed rest. She walked in the room, dumped her belongings on the floor at the foot of one of the beds, and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the mattress. Her grandmother chuckled at her and helped her to remove her shoes. Claire's legs were hanging off the end of the bed, so her grandmother didn't even attempt to try and pull the blankets over her, she knew that if she got cold in the middle of the night that she would find her way under them herself.

Her grandmother readied herself for bed and climbed into the other bed, turned off the light, and laid down to sleep. 


	11. Chapter 11

Claire's sleep was dreamless at first but then something changed.

_She found herself walking in a fog next to a loch, the only sound was the pounding of her own heartbeat. As she continued to walk, she felt at peace, with herself, with the world, with the decisions that had led her to this place._

_Suddenly she stopped and looked around at her surroundings in confusion, where was this place? When had she gone to in order to feel as if she truly belonged?_

_Fear spread through her like icy tentacles reaching into her soul and squeezing the life from her. She began to tremble, not from cold but from the unknown that surrounded her. The feeling of peace that had welcomed her was slowly replaced with the overwhelming feeling of dread._

_She turned in a circle, her eyes searching out anything to anchor her, but the mist had thickened and she couldn't make out anything in the heavy wet air._

_She closed her eyes and began to sob uncontrollably. She felt all alone and longed for a comfort that only her own arms would be able to provide in this lonely forgotten place._

_She wrapped her cloak tighter around her body and tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart when suddenly she felt herself being enveloped by strong warm, muscular arms. The arms tightened around her and pressed her into an equally impressive strong chest._

_She tried to look up and set eyes on her protector but her eyelids were heavy and didn't seem to want to open. She gave in to the new feeling of safety that surrounded her like a warm blanket and rested her head against the chest of her angel._

_As she relaxed her protector scooped her into his arms and carried her like a child cradled against his chest. Her ear pressed over his heart as the steady rhythm of his heartbeat calmed her enough to melt against him._

_After a bit, she was able to open her eyes. The mist was gone and her savior was sitting under a large oak, cradling her body in his lap as he spoke soothing words to her in a tongue she recognized but couldn't seem to understand._

_As if he sensed her awaken, he looked down at her and the most beautiful smile lit up his face. "Ye were havin' a nightmare mo ghràidh. It's just lucky I was able to find ye and rescue ye before yer mind could bring any real harm to ye."_

_Claire frowned, "I'm confused. How did you find me, where am I?"_

_He stroked a finger down the side of her face, "Yer safe now, I've got ye and as soon as I figure out where ye are in the daylight hours, I shall never let ye go."_

_Claire reached up and traced the lines of his face with her fingertips, "How do I find you, where are you?"_

_He turned his head and kissed her fingertips, "I'm right here with ye, but I ken that's no' what yer truly askin'."_

_Claire shook her head, but he put a finger to her lips to keep her from speaking so he could finish. "To answer a few of the questions runnin' through that wee mind of yers, aye I am like ye, I am a traveler of time. I ken that ye wish to find me, but ye must first hone yer skills. I have had much longer to practice and this is how I can keep findin' ye in yer dreams. Ye dinna have the ability yet to guide yer dreams, so that leaves me to follow ye. I long for the day when I can truly hold ye in my arms and that day will be soon, but for now, ye must continue to practice."_

_Claire tried to sit up, "But how are you touching me, how am I touching you?"_

_Jamie chuckled, "As I said, I am like ye, I have drawn ye into my dream, to a place of safety. I have learned how to overcome the urge to disappear at a touch whereas ye have no'. I can control that in my dream, whereas in yers I canna."_

_Claire looked up at him bewildered and he could see in her face what she wanted to say, "Aye, yer subconscious directs yer dreams and ye have no control, I have overcome that as well, tis how I'm able to choose my words and actions. Ye will learn to do the same and I can help ye. I ken that yer thinkin' how can I help ye? I can teach ye as ye dream. But ye must remain in Scotland, I need ye near in order to feel ye and find ye. I ken that ye are no' from here and only visitin' but I must ask ye to stay or at least come right back if ye must return to yer home. I will release ye now. Tis almost time to wake, just follow yer heart, it will lead ye to me, to the real flesh and blood me."_

_Claire couldn't seem to form any words but the look of desperation upon her face spoke volumes. Jamie leaned down and captured her lips with his in a tender kiss. His tongue darted out against her lips, begging for entry. Her lips parted just enough in answer and his tongue plunged into her mouth stroking her tongue in the most exquisite dance._

_He cupped the back of her head as their moans were swallowed between their lips. After a moment they both needed air and reluctantly separated._

_He pressed his forehead to hers and murmured against her lips, "I shall teach ye how to find me, my love. I give ye my word that we will soon be together."_

_Claire let her eyes drift shut as the sweetest smile spread across her face._

When she opened her eyes, she realized she was on the bed at The Auld Kirk. It had all been a beautiful dream.

Her hand came up to touch her lips where she could still feel the tingle of Jamie's lips on hers. She realized that her lips were a bit swollen as if she had truly been kissed. She ran her tongue along her bottom lips and was shocked that she could still taste him, he had tasted of a fine whisky, something smoky and a promise of something more. The perfect flavor of him lingered on her lips and ignited something deep inside her.

She crawled up the bed and relaxed against the pillow, welcoming the warm feeling that spread through her. She would soon find her true love and now she knew without a doubt that Jamie was that man.

Claire looked over toward the small window in their rented room and could just see as the sky was beginning to change colors, announcing a new day. She smiled to herself and decided that a quick show was in order. She had no idea where they would travel to when her grandmother finally woke up, but she would do as Jamie had asked and allow her heart to be her guide. She quietly gathered what she would need for a shower and tiptoed into the bathroom. She closed the door silently, set her fresh clothes on the edge of the pedestal sink, and adjusted the spray in the shower until she was happy with the temperature. 

She stood in the stream of the shower and let the scalding water cascade down the plains of her body. She closed her eyes and let her hands glide over her body, imagining that they were Jamie's hands touching her. One hand found her nipple and she squeezed and rolled the taught bud between her fingertips, stifling the moan that threatened to escape her lips as she imagined Jamie's lips traveling over the smooth skin of her other breast and his fingers stroking the wetness between her legs.

Her fingers moved down her body, stopping for a moment to flick her pleasure bud then sliding so slowly inside the petals of her womanhood. She couldn't hold in the sigh that escaped her when she felt how wet and ready she was. Jamie's name was on the tip of her tongue as her fingers glided in and out, adding just the right amount of pressure when they reached in as far as they could. She bit her lip to keep from calling out, Jamie should be the only one to elicit his name from her lips. His hands on her would bring forth the prayer of his name on her lips and no other, not even her own fingers would pull that pleasure from her body.

She felt the tightening in her belly and the heat pool as her body fluttered around her fingers and then suddenly exploded as her whole body began to tremble. She pulled her fingers out and opened her eyes. She looked down at her flushed body and knew it wasn't from the heat of the shower.

She finished washing her body, climbed out of the shower, and redressed. When she emerged from the bathroom, she expected to find her grandmother awake, but she was still sleeping peacefully. Claire used the time to gather their belongings, leaving only what her grandmother would need when she woke up. She took everything out to their rental vehicle, but at the last second, she grabbed her laptop and took it back in with her. 

The Auld Kirk offered free wifi, however, the signal was weak. She opened Google and began her search, 'James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser' and several hits came up. Even though there were several James Fraser's listed, there weren't as many as she had feared. She eliminated a few from the birth and death dates listed and focused on those that seemed to be more modern. There were only two with a social media presence and she crossed her fingers, hoping that one of them was her Jamie.

She clicked on the first one and quickly realized from the profile picture of an older man with greying black hair, a woman at his side, and a child on his shoulder that the first profile did not belong to her Jamie. She clicked out of the Facebook profile and went back to the Google results. The next profile was an Instagram profile so she would have to judge by the pictures posted and the brief description if this profile belonged to her Jamie or not.

She clicked on the link and was immediately asked to sign in. She normally didn't access Instagram on her laptop, but luckily she had kept her passwords all the same so she wouldn't forget if she was forced into this very situation. She quickly typed in her username and password and was taken to the profile. As she read the profile description, she realized it would be of little help to her. It listed his name as James Fraser, an avid outdoorsman and hobbyist photographer. She hoped the pictures would be of more help so she scrolled through the pictures which were a mix of cell phone pictures and what appeared to be professional pictures, but none of them were of the man behind the name. All of the pictures seemed to be of landscapes, wildlife, architecture, or other nondescript subjects. She continued scrolling, hoping to find something to either rule out this profile or confirm her suspicions. When she finally got to the bottom of the picture roll, one of the pictures jumped out at her, it was a picture of a castle she had seen in her dreams. She clicked on the picture and read the brief description, 'Lallybroch, my safe haven'.

Before she could go back to Google and type in Lallybroch, her grandmother's sleepy morning voice distracted her, "Good morning, Claire, did you sleep well?"

She closed her laptop and turned around to face her grandmother, "Good morning, Gran. Yes, I slept very well and had the most incredible dream."


	12. Chapter 12

Claire turned back to her computer and noticed an email notification. She clicked on it and an email from the DNA testing lab opened up. She clicked on the link and was taken to a website where her geology was revealed. There were hundreds of DNA matches going back hundreds of years. She couldn't help but be drawn into building her family tree with the matches. After a while, her grandmother's voice broke into her train of thought, "Claire, you have been sitting at that computer for hours, what has you so captivated?"

Claire looked up at her grandmother, "I got my results back, Gran."

Her grandmother walked over and looked over her shoulder at the computer screen, "So it seems you have. Are you ready to return to New York and begin your family research?"

Claire shook her head, "I can't leave Scotland, Gran. That was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I will take you home, but I need to stay here."

Her grandmother frowned, "What do you mean, stay here, have you given up on going back to see your mother or on finding out about your ancestry?"

Claire smiled softly at her and took her hands in hers, "No, Gran, none of that. I still wish to visit my mother and ask her about my father. I will work on my ancestry from here, but I dreamed of Jamie again last night, he told me that he can help me to learn how to control my gift. But I must stay in Scotland, he can't reach me when I'm across the ocean. It's why I never dreamed of him until we came to Scotland."

Her grandmother pulled her hands away from Claire and turned her back on her to think, then spun around, "How will you live, where will you live?"

Claire shook her head, "I haven't figured that out just yet, but we still have four days of our vacation and I'm hoping I will know by the end of that time."

Her grandmother sat down on the foot of the bed, "Is this what your heart is telling you to do, or are you doing this just because Jamie asked you to?"

Claire smiled at her, "My heart is my guide, Gran. If it was just Jamie, I would be sleeping all day, trying to dream so that he can reach me."

Her grandmother nodded, "Alright, I will help you to get a place. We will sell your apartment in the city and I can help you with your research from New York."

Claire jumped up and gathered her grandmother into a tight embrace, "Oh, thank you, Gran."

Her grandmother patted her back, "Alright my dear, now tell me what the plan is for today."

Claire nodded and turned back to her computer, "Well, before I got distracted by my DNA results I was looking through social media for Jamie. I think I found a lead, but I need to do a bit more research to be sure."

Her grandmother walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Show me what you have so far."

Claire nodded, and clicked on the Instagram tab, pulling up the picture of Lallybroch. "I found this profile, and I think it's him but I can't be sure. He doesn't share any pictures of himself, only places and things he likes to photograph. But this picture of Lallybroch, it was the first picture he ever posted and he called it his safe haven."

Her grandmother looked down at her, "I don't understand how that is a lead."

Claire shook her head, "Sorry, Gran, I have thoughts in my head and forget to connect the dots with what triggers then some times. I have dreamed of this castle, many times actually, but I don't know where it is. The only thing I do know is that the name is Gáidhlig and it means Lazy Tower, which leads me to believe that it is here in Scotland."

Her grandmother patted her shoulder, "Good work. Now we just need to figure out where this Lallybroch castle is located."

Claire grinned up at her grandmother, "Yes, I am hoping that if I find this castle, I will find Jamie."

Her grandmother squeezed her shoulder, "Well, what are you waiting for, Google it."

Claire chuckled, "That's what I was about to do when you woke up. I wish I could just ask Jamie where he is when I dream of him."

Her grandmother shook her head, "Unfortunately dream projecting doesn't work like that."

Claire looked up at her grandmother, "Actually, Gran, Jamie says it can, I just have to learn how to overcome my subconscious. He was able to speak his mind, control his actions, and touch me without disappearing."

Her grandmother took a step back as her eyes grew round, "The Hell you say."

Claire giggled, "Truly, Gran. He said that he has had much more practice than me and he can feel me draw him to me, but he needs me to remain in Scotland so he can continue to feel that draw."

Her grandmother sat on the edge of the bed, "Alright, so if you stay in Scotland, how is Jamie going to help you?"

Claire rolled her chair closer so she could take her grandmother's hands in hers, "He said that he could teach me while I dream. Last night he was able to rescue me from a nightmare I was having. He took me to a beautiful place near a loch, we were sitting under an oak tree. In the dream, I awoke to him speaking a strange language and cradling me against his chest. He said that he had taken me from my dream into his own so that he could control what he said, and did. I was even able to speak some of my thoughts, though not all of them. He said that the more time we can spend together, the better I will be able to control my gift. Once I can control my gift, I will begin to feel the draw to him and if I haven't' found him with my research by then, I will be able to use my gift to find him."

Her grandmother sighed, "Alright, then I need to take you into the highlands. I have a friend that I am sure you can stay with while you find yourself. I think we should start heading there today, it will take a few days to get there and then you can take me home. You are going to be focused on this instead of a vacation."

Claire started to shake her head, "No, Gran."

Her grandmother cut her off, "I don't mind, we came on this trip so that you can find where and when you belong, you are doing that and now it seems you have found someone who can be of more help to you than I can. I do have one question though."

Claire smiled softly at her grandmother, "What is that, Gran?"

Her grandmother patted her hand, "when do you plan to visit your mother, to ask her about your father?"

Claire nodded, "I plan to visit eventually, soon even, but I think perhaps if I can hone my skills first, it will help when I am ready for that visit."

Her grandmother nodded in agreement, "Yes of course. But before we go, why don't you see if you can find this Lallybroch Castle."

Claire turned her attention back to her laptop and typed in 'Lallybroch' into the google search page. But the search came up with only a translation of the garlic word.

Claire sighed in frustration and closed her laptop, "Well, it looks like I am going to have to wait until Jamie can help me learn how to speak with him in my dreams. Google isn't telling me anything."

Her grandmother patted her shoulder, "Well, then I suppose it's time we get back on the road. I'll give my friend a call tomorrow and make sure she is willing to host you until you can find your own place or till you find Jamie."

Claire stood up and slipped her laptop back into its case, "Alright, Gran, I've already put everything else in the car, let's go."

After stowing her laptop in the back of the SUV, Claire climbed into the driver's seat and her grandmother immediately started looking for their next destination on Claire's phone, "Claire, there are quite a few castles left in Scotland, are you up for visiting any today or do you just want to drive until we find a good place to stop?"

Claire shook her head, "No, Gran, I came to Scotland to find out who I am supposed to be, I just don't feel in my heart that visiting any more castles will help with that. Let's see if you can find something else on our way, but if not I'm not too worried about it."

Her grandmother typed in 'attractions near me' and came up with Culloden Moor. She looked up at Claire, "I know you said you don't want to visit any castles, but how about going to a battlefield, Culloden Moor."

Claire looked over at her grandmother with her eyebrow crooked up, "I suppose that is better than a castle, although everything I read about it is quite sad. Do you know that was the last battle of the Jacobite rising of 1745? The Scottish people didn't even have a chance against the British. They went in with nothing more than their fighting hearts, their swords, and targes to defend themselves with. The British cut them down in less than an hour with their canons and muskets."

Her grandmother's expression turned from excitement to one of sorrow, "Perhaps not then."

Claire shook her head, "No, I want to go, Gran. If I am meant to be part of the history of Scotland, I think visiting Culloden is more important than visiting any castle around."

Her grandmother sighed, "Alright, if that is truly what you wish to do today, we will go and read about those brave Scottish men that laid their lives down for a man that was power hungry and should have just stopped when he had reached the border of Scotland."

Claire turned and looked at her grandmother inquisitively, "Gran, you speak of it as if you were there."

Her grandmother nodded and closed her eyes as she remembered a time long ago. "Yes, I was. Not on the front lines mind you, but I was there afterward. I saw the devastation and though I longed to help, it wasn't my time I couldn't stay for more than a few days."

Claire nodded, "Alright, Gran let's go and learn some history, put it in the GPS."

Her grandmother frowned and hesitated to type the battlefield in, "Claire, you said you dreamed of Lallybroch Castle, and you are certain that is where you will find Jamie, yes?"

Claire nodded and looked at her grandmother out of the corner of her eye, "Yes, what are you getting at?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "It's probably nothing."

Claire pulled the car to the side of the road and took her grandmother's hand, "Gran, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask, now what were you thinking?"

Her grandmother chuckled, "Yes, you are quite right about that. Well, you said that you found the picture of Lallybroch on Instagram or Facebook or some such thing, correct?"

Claire rolled her eyes, "Instagram, yes, why?"

Her grandmother took a deep breath, "Well, didn't you tell me that Instagram was a social media app on your phone?"

Claire nodded and quirked her eyebrow, "Gran, where are you going with this?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to be clear before I suggested something and sounded like a fool if I didn't know what I was talking about. But if the picture was on social media, aren't those for... well for socializing?"

Claire chuckled, "Yes, Gran, they are, but I don't understand what you are trying to say."

Her grandmother patted her hand, "Perhaps I'm not the one who is a fool then. Claire, can't you just send a message to the owner of the profile and ask if he is the Jamie you are searching for?"

Claire's eyes grew wide, "Oh my God, Gran, you are absolutely right, I am a fool. However, I will just post a comment under the picture. I don't know how soon or even if he will reply, I will have to keep checking my app, but it is certainly worth a shot."

Her grandmother smirked with a look that said 'I told you that you would need me.' "Well, now that we have that little problem solved, should we get back on the road and go check out The Battlefield of Culloden Moor?"

Claire rolled her eyes and turned back in her seat to pull the SUV back onto the road, "Yes, Gran, let's go check out this battlefield."


	13. Chapter 13

Claire and her grandmother pulled into the parking area at the Culloden Moor Battleground memorial and climbed out of the car. Claire immediately felt a chill go through her body, but it wasn't due to the weather. She decided that she would leave her camera gear in the vehicle and just take in the battlefield like a regular tourist. The first thing she noticed was the visitor's center, so the two of them made their way over to check it out. They discovered that the visitor's center had artifacts from both sides of the battle and all were quite interesting to look at. After experiencing everything the visitor's center had to offer, they made to the battlefield where the headstones of over a thousand clansmen had laid down their lives for a power hunger pretender to the thrown.

Claire shivered at the eerie stillness of the area and as she looked across the moor, she could almost imagine the battle in front of her. She shuttered at the sheer number of lives that had been lost on the moor, lives of men who were only trying to preserve their way of life. She wished there was something she could do to save them all, but her grandmother had warned her that she not only couldn't use her gift of time travel to change historical events, but she didn't have the ability to do so even if she tried. They walked around for a bit more in complete silence, letting the mournful sense of the place wash over them. After an hour or so, Claire decided that she couldn't take any more of the sadness that seemed to be seeping into her bones just by standing where so many brave men had sacrificed their lives for a doomed cause.

She looked over at her grandmother who seemed to be just as overwhelmed as Claire felt, "Gran, are you ready to go?"

Her grandmother looked up at her with a grateful expression on her face, "Yes, my dear. I fear I have spent far too long on this field and the ghosts are beginning to call to me."

Claire furrowed her brow as she walked over and took her grandmother's hand to hook into her bent arm, "What do you mean, Gran?"

Her grandmother looked up at her, "Oh, well I suppose I never told you about that part of our gift, did I?"

Claire shook her head, "No, I don't recall that you have."

Her grandmother patted her arm, "Not only do we have the abilities I have already spoken of to you, but we are able to communicate with spirits of those who passed. We can't seek them out, mind you, they instead come to us. When you were little, you used to tell me you saw your grandfather standing in my bedroom. It was a few years after he had died that you came to me and told me that. Most children can see through the veil to the spirit world, but society teaches them it's not real, so the veil darkens and they can no longer see through it. I didn't wish to change your beliefs by telling you they weren't real, but you haven't mentioned anything since then. I don't know if you can still see and feel them."

Claire stopped and looked at her grandmother, "Gran, I think I can, but I have always thought I was maybe losing my mind. I would hear pots banging when no one else was around, or cabinet doors slamming when I am alone in my kitchen and can clearly see the cabinet doors are firmly shut. There are other things that I always just thought was an overactive imagination, but with everything you are teaching me about myself, perhaps it's part of my gifts."

Her grandmother urged her to keep walking toward the car, "Like what?"

Claire sighed, "I dream the most vivid dreams, but they are different from projections and they don't come often. But when I dream them, they feel so real to me, almost like I am seeing my future. I am rarely a part of those dreams, but instead its' as if I am a fly on the wall as I watch the scene unfold before me."

Her grandmother nodded in understanding, "Aww, so it seems you have the gift of premonitions as well. They used to call it the sight a few hundred years ago. It fits of course, with who we truly are."

Claire frowned, "Who we truly are, what do you mean?"

Her grandmother looked over at the car then back at Claire, "Let's get back on the road first, I don't much like saying things like that in mixed company."

Claire furrowed her brow and looked around, "Gran, there is no one else here."

Her grandmother quirked her brow, "No one alive, but that doesn't mean there is no one here, surely you can feel them if not see them. Their presence is strong in this place and I don't wish to speak in front of them of such things."

Claire nodded as they walked in silence the rest of the way back to the car. They climbed in and Claire started the car, "Alright, Gran tell me which way we are going and then tell me what you were talking about back there."

Her grandmother sat up straight, "We are driving north into the highlands, I have a friend who lives near Cromarty, it's less than an hour from Inverness. I gave her a call from your phone while we were at Culloden Battlefield and she is happy to have your company for as long as you need."

Claire nodded, "Alright, Gran, and what about the rental car?"

Her grandmother patted her hand, "Not to worry, my dear. I will drive it back and buy a ticket on the first flight back to New York."

Claire sighed, "Gran, why would you go to all that trouble when I can just take you back in a moment?"

Her grandmother chuckled, "And who would that leave to deal with the rental car my dear? You are quite skilled, but you can't jump an entire car, especially not one this size."

Claire's shoulders dropped in defeat, "Yes, I suppose you are right, especially since I am still learning."

Her grandmother patted her arm, "Don't worry, my dear girl, it sounds like you are going to be quite powerful once you learn to hone your skills."

Claire turned and narrowed her gaze at her grandmother, "That reminds me, back there at Culloden Moor, you mentioned something, or you started to. So now that we are completely alone, please finish telling me who we are."

Her grandmother looked out the window for a moment to gather her thoughts and decide on the best way to explain, "Although I don't know much about our ancestry, and only the bit you have been able to find on your father's side, I do know something that has been passed down from generation to generation. We are from a long line of Celtic Druids."

Claire furrowed her brow, "So we're witches? I thought you said that people have called the women in our family that, but that was only because they didn't truly understand us."

Her grandmother shook her head, "No, my dear. We are not witches, Druids have their own religion, like Catholics or Mormons. But the ancient line we come from were not just religious leaders, they wear also keepers of lore, medical professionals, and political advisors. Our rituals have been seen as pagan and therefore deemed to be evil by catholic priests and their counterparts. Through time we have been misunderstood, feared, and untrusted by those who didn't take the time to actually get to know us. The skills you possess have been talked about in the old lore since the 4th century, but I have never known anyone myself to possess all of the skills as you do. Claire, it seems you are quite special and I am convinced more than ever that you are meant for great things once you find your place and time in this world."

Claire sighed, "No pressure, thanks, Gran. Seriously though, now that our vacation is coming to an end, I wanted to tell you that I have enjoyed this time with you. To just forget about the real world and explore some of the hidden gems that Scotland has to offer. But I must also confess that I am glad for a bit of respite, it will be good to stay in one place and not have to worry about driving from place to place. It will give me time to do some research during the day and hopefully meet Jamie in my dreams at night."

Her grandmother chuckled, "Yes, I'm sure you can't wait for the latter, my little sleeping beauty. When you have a bed near, you love your afternoon naps."

Claire giggled, "Hey now, don't tease, they help to refresh me. There is nothing wrong with an afternoon nap."

Her grandmother snorted, "No, there's not if you're 2 or 80."

They both laughed loudly together and Claire wiped a joyful tear from her cheek. "Oh, Gran, I'm going to miss you."

Her grandmother reached over and patted her hand, "I will only be a thought away, my dear. You can come and see me any time you wish, just be mindful of the time difference, alright?"

Claire shook her head and smiled, "Of course, gran, I wouldn't want to interrupt your morning tea."

***

They arrived at a little cottage about 45 minutes after leaving Culloden Battlefield and Claire's grandmother went to knock on the door as Claire gathered her belongings from the back of the SUV. Before she had closed the hatch, the door to the little cottage was being pulled open. Claire walked up just in time to see her grandmother greeting her old friend in a warm hug. After she released her friend she took a step back to introduce Claire to a tiny lady with gorgeous straight, shoulder length silver hair, "Claire, may I introduce you to one of my oldest friends, this is Elizabeth."

Claire's eyes grew round as she looked at her grandmother, "Is that where I got my middle name?"

Her grandmother shook her head, "I don't think so, your mother chose your names, I had nothing to do with it. But you do realize that Elizabeth is my middle name and that is likely where your mother got it"

Claire nodded, "Right, I had forgotten about that, Gran. I beg your pardon Elizabeth, it is so nice to meet you and I can't thank you enough for letting me stay with you for a while. I promise that I will be out of your hair as soon as I can."

Elizabeth waved her hand in the air, "Dinna even fash about that, child. Ye are welcome to stay as long as ye need. Tis been some years since I've had company and I look forward to cookin' for someone other than myself."

Claire chuckled, "Thank you, I appreciate that, and I promise not to be a bother. I will likely stay in my room doing my research for most of the day and going on hikes when I need to get out for a bit of fresh air."

Elizabeth stepped back and gestured the two to step inside the little cottage, "Well, there is no better place than the highlands of Scotland to get a bit of fresh air. There are plenty of trails ye can hike and if yer a climber, there are an abundance of craighs to climb. But before ye can experience any of that, ye will want to ken where yer room is, follow me."

Claire nodded as she followed the spritely lady through a sitting area toward the back of the house. "This door on the left is my bedroom and the door straight across is the lavatory. Yer room is the door straight at the back."

Elizabeth walked past the first two doors and opened the door at the end of the long hallway. Once inside she flipped the light on and stepped aside to allow Claire and her grandmother to enter. Claire smiled at the complete Scottishness feel of the room. The queen sized four poster canopy bed was covered in a blue and green tartan quilt and the tiny window over the headboard was hidden behind matching drapes. On the foot of the bed lay what looked like a rabbit fur throw, likely quite useful on cold nights. There were sheer white curtains tied to each of the four posts of the bed, giving the whole room a fairytale feel about it. In the corner of the room, opposite the bed was a small barn wood desk, and next to it was a beautiful granite hearth, large enough for Santa to fit in.

Claire walked over to the bed and deposited her bag, laptop, and camera gear, then turned and looked at Elizabeth, "Thank you so much, this room is lovely and it will be a perfect place to conduct my research."

Elizabeth gave her a pleasant smile then turned back to her grandmother, "Now, Mary, I ken ye said that ye wouldna have much time once ye arrived, but perhaps ye could stay for a cup of tea."

Her grandmother nodded, "Of course, Elizabeth, what kind of friend would I be if I were to just pop up on your doorstep with my granddaughter and not stay for a cup of tea."

Claire smiled at how comfortable her grandmother seemed and turned back to take care of her belongings as the two left the room, closing the door behind them.


	14. Chapter 14

After about an hour of immersing herself in her genealogy research, there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in."

The door opened and Claire's grandmother peeked her head inside, "Hey sweetpea, I wanted to check on you before I left and let you know that I'll be going."

Claire got up from her chair and rushed over to the door, dragging her grandmother inside and embracing her as if she would never see her again. "Gran, I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me. Not just for setting this up with your friend Elizabeth, but for always being there for me, supporting me and teaching me about myself."

Her grandmother patted her back and pulled away from her so she could look into her face, "Oh, my dear, I wouldn't have it any other way. You have been my whole world these past 20 years and you know that I would do anything for you. Besides, this isn't goodbye forever, it's just for a little while. We will see each other again and from the information, you have already gathered, I wager that it will be sooner rather than later."

Claire nodded and wiped a tear from her eye, "Yes, of course, I know I'm being silly. It's just that I have never been so far away from you and we are about to be in separate countries with an entire ocean separating us."

Her grandmother stroked her hair lovingly, "I'm just a jump away, and when that isn't feasible, only a phone call away."

Claire gave her a watery smile, "That reminds me, I want you to call as soon as you drop off the rental car, before you go to bed tonight, before you board your flight and when you land in New York. I don't care what time it is, I need to know that you are safe. If I don't answer, please send me a text or leave me a voicemail so that I know you made it safe."

Her grandmother chuckled, "Who is the parent in this relationship, aren't I the one who is supposed to demand that you call me?"

Claire blushed, "I'm sorry, I know I probably sound neurotic, but you are the only family I have and I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to you."

Her grandmother cupped her head and pulled her close to place a kiss on her forehead, "Oh, my dear sweet girl, I love you too. You have nothing to worry about, I'm not going anywhere for a very long time. You just do what you need to do here, learn as much as you can, find that man of yours, and don't forget to have a bit of fun while you're at it."

Claire chuckled, "Alright Gran, I suppose I should say my goodbyes and let you get on the road while you still have most of the day left to drive back."

Her grandmother took her hand and together they walked through the house, meeting Elizabeth on the front porch. Claire's grandmother gave her friend one last hug and walked to the rental car. Elizabeth wrapped an arm around Claire's waist and drew her close to give her a bit of emotional support as her grandmother backed out of the driveway and disappeared down the road. When she was finally out of sight, Claire let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and gave herself a tiny nod. She turned to Elizabeth and smiled softly, "I think I'm going to lie down for a short nap, then perhaps go for a run, if that's alright with you."

Elizabeth nodded in understanding, "Ye do whatever ye need to do, dear. I'll be around here somewhere if ye need me."

Claire left Elizabeth on the porch, walked back into the house, and went straight to her bedroom. She saved her research on her laptop before closing the lid and climbing under the tartan blanket and making herself comfortable in the big soft bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep within seconds.

_She knew immediately that she was dreaming by the chill in the air and the hundreds of soft voices surrounding her. She blinked her eyes to try and see through the fog and suddenly she realized where she was standing. She recognized the place instantly, having visited with her grandmother and suddenly she understood what her grandmother had told her about communicating with ghosts._

_She couldn't believe her eyes as she looked from one side to the other as she quickly became aware of the day her dream had taken her to. The redcoats were on one side of the moor and the Scots were on the other. Muskets fired, swords clashed and canons boomed in the air around her, but she didn't feel a bit of fear. She briefly wondered if she was dreaming of Culloden Moor because of her recent visit or if it was because of the research she had done on her ancestors._

_In the time she had spent in Elizabeth's spare room she hadn't found any ancestors who had died at the Battle of Culloden, but she had found several who had died during other battles. Perhaps Scottish history was so fresh in her mind due to everything she had recently experienced. She shook her head to refocus on everything going on around her, certain that she was there for a reason. Perhaps the ghost that had been trying to speak to her grandmother had a message for her. She walked through the men as they ran by her, screaming their battle cries and thrashing their swords left and right. But none of them acted as if they could even see her. She could smell the coppery tang of blood so strong that it was as if she had somehow gotten some in her mouth._

_Slowly everything became more real, the bullets made a whizzing sound as they rushed past her, the mud under feet squelched with each step she took, the roar of the men became deafening and a gripping fear chilled her to the bone. Her feet became like lead and she found herself unable to take another step. She slumped to the ground, wrapped her arms around her knees, and began to weep in earnest. After a moment she realized that she was whimpering, but it wasn't just a small pitiful sound coming from her, but a name. She was calling Jamie's name and begging for him to come and find her._

_She lifted her head from her knees and looked around at the field of fallen men, the fear consuming her. It was then that she realized this was another dream projection, it might not have started out that way. But it was certainly a projection now and she knew of only one way to get out of it, she needed rescuing. She lifted her eyes to the sky and hollered as loud as she could, hoping that only one person could hear or see her, "JAMIE!"_

_She bellowed for him again and again, becoming desperate with each passing second and when she was all but ready to give up, she felt strong arms wrapping around her. "I've got ye lass. Ye need not be scared as long as I'm with ye."_

_Claire sighed in relief and melted against Jamie as he lifted her into his arms and walked away from the battlefield. She watched over his shoulder as the dead men disappeared as if they were nothing but mist and the battlefield took on the appearance of its 21st century counterpart. She rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes as he carried her to safety. It seemed as though he walked with her in his arms for hours when he finally came to a stop. She felt him sit down on something and adust her in his arms so he could free one of his hands._

_He smoothed her hair back from her face and placed a tender kiss on her nose, "Wake up mo nighean bréagha, yer safe now, I've got ye."_

_Claire's eyes fluttered open and she looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. She gripped his shirt tightly and sobbed into his chest as he whispered soothing words against the crown of her head. After a while, she was able to control her weeping and she lifted her head, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know what else to do."_

_Jamie grinned and kissed her nose again, "Tis alright, even though it was a frightful experience, it appears that it unlocked something in yer subconscious. Ye were able to call for me and just now ye apologized. Is that what ye were wanting to say?"_

_Claire nodded, unable to verbalize anything else. She furrowed her brow in confusion at the whole confounded circumstances. Jamie chuckled, "Aye, I ken, now ye are not able to say what ye wish. It was yer heightened emotional state which allowed ye to do so before. Now that ye have calmed down, it is hard to overcome yer subconscious dream state. I will teach ye how to harness yer emotions so that we can speak freely. Obviously strong emotions simply come out, no matter what yer subconscious wishes and that is why ye could say what ye wished, but it is not the only way. If ye focus and concentrate, ye can say what ye wish as well. It takes quite a bit of practice, but we have time. I'm not going anywhere and for now, ye can nod or shake yer head to answer me, aye?"_

_Claire nodded and huffed in frustration. She wanted so badly to ask him questions, to figure out where he was in her waking state so that she could go to him, speak to him and spend all her time with him. But she knew it would take time, as he said to be able to get to that point._

_Jamie stroked her cheek, "I want ye to try, look into my eyes, and focus on the question ye wish to ask me. I can see in yer eyes that ye are full of questions, so think of what ye wish to know most, focus on it, concentrate and make your mouth say the words."_

_Claire nodded and took a deep breath. She wished she could control her body as well, she so badly wanted to touch his face and feel the stubble there, but her hands were still clenching his shirt, unable to let go. She stared into his eyes and focused on asking him where he lived. She stared at him for several minutes and didn't make any progress, but he remained patient and didn't break eye contact with her. She decided that she needed a new tactic and thought that focusing on one word at a time might be easier to start. She focused on the word 'where' allowed the feel of the word to fill her mouth, tasted it on her lips and suddenly she spoke, "Where?"_

_Her eyes grew wide and her mouth curled up in a small smile. Jamie's beaming smile matched hers and he nodded in encouragement and began trying to guess at what she was trying to ask. He looked up from her face and looked around at their surroundings then back down at her face, "We are in a very peaceful place. Let me help ye to sit up and ye can look around to see it. I have brought ye to one of my favorite places to photograph in Scotland, Glen Coe."_

_He lifted her and twisted her around, pulling her fists from his shirt and settling her on his lap. Her eyes grew big as she took in the beautiful surroundings, the pinks of the sky as it reflected off the water and the distant snow covered hills in the distance indeed make this a majestic, breathtaking landscape._

_She settled against his chest and let the peace surround her, as she focused on trying to ask him again. However, she surprised herself with what came out of her mouth, "Where are you?"_

_Jamie turned her toward him with his brow furrowed, "That was great, but I don't know if you are asking where I am since I am right here with you or if you are wondering where someone else is. I'm guessing the peace of this place has calmed your mind enough to let your thoughts escape. Am I on the right track?"  
_

_Claire nodded as a warm smile spread across her face. She turned away from Jamie and let the peace of Glen Coe wash over her again as she searched her mind for a simpler way to ask him her question. Perhaps her question was far too difficult for a beginner to attempt and she should start with smaller sentences. When she had another question formed she turned in his arms, so he adjusted her so she could see into his eyes. She stared into his eyes, took a deep breath, and concentrated on the two words she wished to say to him. It didn't take as long for the words to form in her mouth as they had the first time, "Meet you."_

_She beamed with joy at being able to utter both words and she saw her joy reflected on Jamie's face. Jamie nodded and blinked away the tear that was threatening to fall from his eye, "Yes, lass, I want to meet you too, very badly in fact. I wish you could tell me where you are, I would come to you in an instant. I have been jumping all over the country in search of you, but with only a description of you, it's a bit hard to find you amongst the millions of people in Britain."_

_Claire smirked and her eyes showed him her understanding and shared frustration at the whole ordeal. She furrowed her brow in thought, trying to remember the name of the town her grandmother's friend lived in, but for some reason, the memory was foggy and all she could remember was the letter it started with. She looked up at Jamie and stared into his eyes. He could tell that she was trying to tell him something else, so he remained perfectly still and waited patiently for her to form the words. Finally, her eyes lit up and she spoke, "Highlands."_

_Jamie's eyes went wide, "You're in the highlands?"_

_Claire nodded emphatically and Jamie grabbed her face, "Do you know the name of the nearest town?"_

_Claire frowned and lowered her head. Jamie lifted her head back up so she could look into his eyes, "That's alright lass, we will get there eventually. You have done so well already, I have faith that we will find each other. I can help you by finding the right questions to ask, alright?"_

_Claire nodded and he wiped a tear from her cheek, "Don't weep, lass. We can do this, there are the two of us now and together we can figure out anything. Let me see, what can I ask ye that will narrow down my search?"_

_He furrowed his brow in thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up, "Are ye alone?"_

_Claire shook her head. Jamie nodded, "Alright, I know yer sleeping since ye are dream projecting, so are you staying at an inn or a Bed and Breakfast?"_

_Claire shook her head and Jamie frowned, "Hmm, are ye staying with a friend, someone ye now?"_

_Claire frowned and shrugged and Jamie quirked his brow, "Hmm, I don't quite know what to make of that answer. Do ye know the name of the person yer staying with?"_

_Claire nodded and her eyes lit up. Jamie grinned, "Good, that's good. I want you to try and tell me the person's name."_

_Claire nodded and focused on Jamie's eyes, imagining Elizabeth forming in her mouth and a moment later she was able to speak it out loud, "Elizabeth."_

_Jamie smiled and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead, "That is very good. Elizabeth is a common name, unfortunately, but we are making progress. Let's see, ye are staying with someone named Elizabeth but ye shrugged and frowned when I asked if ye knew her or if she was a friend. What could that mean, perhaps ye don't know her, but someone that ye are close to does."_

_Claire nodded emphatically and Jamie sat up a bit taller, proud of himself for figuring out her riddle, "Ye ken that it's as if we are playing charades without any of the physical gestures?"_

_Claire grinned and blushed as she nodded. Jamie grinned and rolled his eyes, "We are going to become quite good at communicating. Alright, so Elizabeth is likely a friend of someone close to ye, perhaps a family member. Maybe even someone that came to Scotland with ye."_

_Claire nodded and she practically vibrated on Jamie's lap, he chuckled, "Alright, so it seems I am still headed in the right direction. I know from speaking to ye that ye are not from Scotland. Did ye come on vacation to Scotland with a family member?"_

_Claire nodded so Jamie continued, "A parent or sibling perhaps?"_

_Claire frowned and shook her head, Jamie frowned as well. "Can you try and tell me in one word who it is that accompanied ye?"_

_Claire nodded, took a deep breath, and looked into Jamie's eyes, "Gran."_

_Jamie's eyebrows shot up, "A grandparent?"  
_

_Claire smiled and nodded, "So Elizabeth is a friend of yer grandparent. Did ye travel with yer grandmother?"_

_Claire nodded and leaned forward pressing her lips to his for a moment. Then she pulled back in surprise. Jamie grinned at her, "Yer getting excited and yer body is doing as ye wish, soon yer words will follow."_

_Claire grinned and opened her mouth to try her initial question again, but a disembodied voice stopped her. She frowned and began looking around. Jamie wrapped his arms tightly around her, sensing something was wrong from her sudden change in body language, "What's wrong, Claire."_

_She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she could as the voice became stronger, "Voice."_

_Jamie frowned, "Ye hear a voice?"_

_Claire nodded. Jamie sighed, "What is the voice saying a leannan?"_

_Claire focused, "Claire."_

_Jamie relaxed his hold on her and pulled back to see her face, "I think ye are about to be woken up, mo ghráidh, don't fight it. I will come to find ye again tonight, we will practice more. Think of me when ye lay down to sleep, hopefully, it will help ye to find me instead of starting in a nightmare."_

_Claire nodded and pressed her lips to his before being rudely returned to the waking world._

She opened her eyes and tried to focus on the voice, it was Elizabeth calling through her door, "Claire, are ye alright lass?"

Claire sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes, the room was now completely dark. She looked over at the bedside clock and gasped at the time. She had been asleep for almost 6 hours. She cleared her throat, swung her legs out of bed, and walked over to open the door, "Elizabeth, yes. I'm so sorry, it appears as though I have slept the whole afternoon away, I must have been more tired than I thought."

Elizabeth waved her hand in the air, "Think nothing of it, dear. I just wanted to check on ye since yer grandmother called and said ye weren't answering yer phone. I told her ye laid down for a nap but I would check on ye. She arrived in Glasgow about 2 hours ago and she was going to return the rental car then check into a nearby inn for the night. Her flight leaves first thing in the morning and she said she would just send ye a text. She said yer generally a late sleeper and she didn't wish to interrupt yer sleep."

Claire smiled shyly, "Thank you, Elizabeth, I think I am going to skip the hike today since it's already dark out. But I am starving, do you perhaps have anything I could eat?"


	15. Chapter 15

After eating a hearty meal of roast chicken, creamed peas, and fried potatoes, Claire and Elizabeth sat down in her sitting room to chat and get to know one another. However, Claire was wary about how much was alright to reveal to Elizabeth. She was unaware of the circumstances which led to her grandmother meeting Elizabeth and didn't want to inadvertently reveal any family secrets. Instead, she focused on trying to get to know more about Elizabeth and her knowledge of Scotland. "So, Elizabeth, did you grow up here?"

Elizabeth shook her head, "Oh, no. My late husband's family is from here, I was born on the western side of the country in a small town called Laide."

Claire quirked her brow, "How in the world did you meet him?"

Elizabeth chuckled, "Would ye believe that we weren't even in Scotland when we met? We were both visiting New York City for different reasons and I bumped into him. I literally bumped right into him, spilling my coffee all over his freshly pressed blue button down shirt."

Claire giggled, "Oh, God, what a way to meet. What was his reaction?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Well as ye can imagine, I was ashamed and embarrassed and apologized profusely for my lack of attention and insisted on replacing his shirt. But to my utter embarrassment, he laughed at me and waved away my efforts to wipe off his shirt. Then he completely threw me off balance when he offered to replace my coffee, claiming it was his fault."

Claire frowned, "How could that be his fault?"

Elizabeth grinned, "He said that he was so enthralled with my beauty that he didn't step out of the way when he saw me walking straight toward him. He said that he thought he was in a dream and his angel was coming to claim him."

Claire burst out laughing, "Oh, God, what a horrible pickup line, but I suppose it must have worked if you wound up married to the man."

Elizabeth giggled, "Not exactly, I wasn't buying it and told him to go stuff it."

Claire's eyebrows shot up to her hairline, "Then how did he win you over?"

Elizabeth grinned, "Well after that, I left him standing there in his wet shirt, I thought he was a cheeky bastard. I turned and walked away, determined to forget about the whole situation. But two days later when I was at the airport waiting for my flight to depart he walked up in front of where I was sitting and offered me a cup of hot coffee."

Claire smiled, "What are the odds?"

Elizabeth chuckled, "Indeed, but it turned out that we were booked on the same flight back to Scotland. But that is not even the best part, his seat ended up being the one next to mine. So for the next 11 hours, we learned everything we could about each other and by the end of the flight, we knew that we had something worth exploring. The rest, as they say, is history."

Claire sighed, "Oh, Elizabeth, that is so romantic."

Elizabeth smiled softly at the memory, "Yes, it was rather romantic and I wouldn't trade my life with him for the world."

Claire smiled softly at the thought of destiny, true love, and soul mates. Before she knew it, images of Jamie had invaded her thoughts and her smile grew bigger. Elizabeth noticed, "Yer grandmother tells me that you feel a draw to Scotland as if ye know that yer soulmate is here."

Claire blushed as she nodded, "Yes, I do."

Elizabeth smiled knowingly at her, "I will do whatever I can to help ye to find him, lass."

Claire let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, "Thank you, Elizabeth, that means so much to me."

Elizabeth stood up, "Well, lass, it's getting late, I should be getting to bed. Have a good night, sleep well, I'll see ye in the morning."

Claire stood up quickly, "Elizabeth, wait."

Elizabeth stopped and turned around her brow furrowed, "What is it?"

Claire took a breath to calm her racing heart, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just was doing my research earlier and I couldn't remember the name of this town."

Elizabeth's expression relaxed, "We aren't in the town, but the closest town is Cromarty."

Claire smiled in thanks, "Thank you, goodnight Elizabeth."

Claire made her way to her own room, shutting off the lights as she went. She removed her clothes and crawled under the warm tartan quilt. She laid there thinking about her plans for the following day and decided she needed to practice using her ring to project and her pendant to jump after determining the safety to do so. Jamie would be teaching her to control her dream projections, so she might as well focus her waking hours on perfecting her waking skills. 

She closed her eyes, emptied her mind then thought of only Jamie. It took a while for sleep to finally claim her but when it did, her dream began peacefully. 

_She found herself walking beside a bubbling brook, just after sunrise as the sun painted the sky in pinks, purples, and ember pastels, lending an ethereal glow to the landscape below. The aromatic heather surrounding her swayed in the gentle breeze as the sounds of the creatures of the night faded with the darkness. She looked down at her clothing, trying to determine what time period she was in, but she was dressed in a gauzy white gown the flowed around and fit her body as if it had been created just for her. She felt angelic and otherworldly as she floated across the field and approached the edge of the water._

_A movement from the corner of her eye suddenly caught her attention. She watched as dark red curls emerged from below the surface of the water, followed by broad shoulders and beautifully defined muscular arms. His large hands came up next and brushed the hair out of his face, his electric blue eyes locking onto her as soon as his eyes opened. A radiant smile immediately gracing his lovely chiseled face. Claire returned his smile with a matching one of her own. She was frozen in place by the beauty of him as he slowly made his way to the bank, more and more of his body being revealed as he came closer._

_Her eyes moved down the exquisite plains of his body as he approached. Her heart pounded faster and her breath becoming gasping pants as she imagined what was hidden just below the water's surface. However, he stopped his advance when his v-line was visible, leaving everything else to her imagination. "Ye found me, I had hoped ye would, but I didna expect ye to arrive so soon after I fell asleep."_

_Claire giggled, but just as before, she couldn't force her thoughts into audible words. Jamie grinned at her, "Dinna worry lass, we will practice."_

_She stood perfectly still as she waited, not sure what she was waiting for, but she waited. Jamie took another step closer, exposing the top of his navy blue swim trunks, slung low on his hips, making him look like a naughty beach enthusiast. Claire swallowed audibly, not sure if she was thankful for his modesty or disappointed that he hadn't been skinny dipping. Of course, Jamie had seen her reaction and followed the line of her gaze. At that moment, he was grateful that he had dreamed of himself wearing dark colored trunks instead of something that would reveal the traitorous reaction of his cock._

_She looked absolutely lovely dressed as she was and the way she had gazed at his body, practically drooling had done things to his body. He wanted badly to touch her, knowing that when they touched in their dreams it was only a fraction of what reality would feel like when he could finally hold her in his arms and press her body against his. He vowed then and there that when the time came that he could truly hold her in his arms, that he would make this long wait worth every moment._

_Jamie walked closer to her, stepping up onto the bank and reaching for a towel that was folded on a boulder next to the brook. He wrapped it around his waist like a makeshift kilt then walked over to stand directly in front of Claire. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face so that he could gaze into her beautiful eyes. His voice came out husky when he finally spoke, "I've missed ye lass and we haven't even truly met yet."_

_Claire's eyes darkened and her body trembled at his voice and touch. Jamie smirked at her reaction to him and he leaned down to murmur against her ear, "I ken, mo ghráidh, I feel it too, but until we meet, we canna do anything about the longing. Would ye like to sit wi' me and practice focusing on overcoming yer subconscious?"_

_Claire's lips parted, but no words would come out, so she gave an almost imperceptible nod. Jamie realized she had absolutely no control of her words or body and bent to scoop her into his arms. He carried her over to a blanket that he had spread in the heather and gently set her down, taking a seat right next to her. He looked deep into her eyes, deciding on what he could ask her that would have an answer that wouldn't be too difficult for her to verbalize. "Ye ken that when we met earlier it was the middle of the day. I dinna usually take naps in the middle of the day, but after a long hike, I sat down on the top of a summit, closed my eyes, and drifted off. I dinna ken if yer mind calling to mine is what caused me to sleep or if it was just luck that I did and was able to find ye at the battlefield."_

_Claire stared at him expectantly, so Jamie shook his head, "I'm sorry. I meant to ask ye a question, but that was something I have been thinking about since our shared dream this afternoon. When I awoke, it was dark outside and the stars were brilliant, but not enough for me to see my way to make it down. I ended up eating the snacks in my pack and using the tartan I always have with me like a blanket. I will spend the night on that summit then make my way down in the morning. But being up there, it got me thinking. Ye said that ye are staying in the highlands, with a friend of yer grandmother. So I have thought of some questions that I can ask ye that hopefully will help us to narrow down where ye are. I ken that many of the town names will likely be to difficult for ye to say while ye still learning how to overcome yer subconscious, but there are other ways we can narrow it down."_

_Claire's eyes lit up, gratefully as she nodded. Jamie chuckled, "Alright, so here is the first question. Is the town where ye are staying located on the coast?"_

_Claire looked deep into his eyes and concentrated, it took a bit of time for the word to come, but finally, she spoke, "Yes."_

_Jamie grinned, "Good, alright that still leaves plenty of places, so let's see if we can narrow it down a bit more. Is the town on the west coast?"_

_Claire looked into his eyes, focused intently, "No."_

_Jamie frowned, "That is alright, we only have two other choices. Is it on the north coast?"_

_Claire took a deep breath and concentrated, "East."_

_Jamie's eyes lit up, "Good, job lass. I feared that word would be too hard. Ye are catching on fast. But there are still several places that could be, but not nearly as many as there were before. Are ye staying in a large town or city?"_

_Claire frowned and shook her head, "No."_

_Jamie chuckled, "I almost dinna need words if the answer will be yes or no. Yer eyes tell me right away if I am getting cold or hot with my questions."_

_Claire smiled as a blush climbed up her neck and her cheeks flushed prettily. Jamie reached over and stroked her cheek, momentarily distracted by her beauty, "Ye are so beautiful, Claire and I ken that everything in our dreams is subdued, the sounds, the colors the things we see. Life is so much more vibrant and I canna wait to truly see ye."_

_Claire leaned into his palm, wishing the same thing. This man she had found or rather was dreaming about and doing everything she could to find, was a beautiful thoughtful soul. As she melted into the warmth of his palm she uttered two words without effort, "Me too."_

_Her eyes shot open and Jamie smiled softly as he leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips then pulled back, his voice husky, "Even sensations are subdued, but I couldna help myself."_

_Claire nodded her agreement and waited for him to ask another question, hoping that he would ask the name of the town. She now knew what it was but was unable to make her mouth form the word to outright tell him. Jamie sat back and gazed into her eyes, trying to remember the line of questioning so he could resume where he was. After a moment he nodded to himself, "Ye said that it isna a large town or city so that only leaves small towns, but even small towns are near larger places. Perhaps if we can determine how far away from one of them ye are I can narrow my search."_

_Claire nodded emphatically, and Jamie chuckled, "Alright, so ye are on the east coast, let me think for a moment about the larger cities on the east side of the country. The biggest city is Inverness, are ye near Inverness?"_

_Claire shrugged but didn't try to answer so Jamie furrowed his brow in thought. "That tells me that maybe Inverness is the closest big city to ye, but not what ye would consider close, am I right?"_

_Claire nodded, "Yes."_

_Jamie smiled, "Alright, so then which direction from Inverness are ye located, north or east?"_

_Claire sat up a bit taller, "North."_

_Jamie sat up taller as well, "That is still a large area, do ye ken how far away ye are from Inverness?"_

_Claire nodded, "Yes."_

_Jamie beamed, "Oh, lass, we might just figure it out. Can ye try and tell me how far away ye are?"_

_Claire furrowed her brow and looked into his eyes, determined to speak the answer out loud. It was taking a few minutes for her to answer so Jamie wanted to make it simpler for her, "Is it less than an hour or more?"_

_Claire sighed in relief, saying the number of minutes was proving difficult, "Less."_

_Jamie grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "Oh, lass, that narrows it down immensely. Let's not give up now, does it take more or less than half an hour?"_

_Claire turned a bit more so that she was facing him straight on, "More."_

_Jamie nodded, "Alright, let me think for a moment, there are still quite a few depending on the route ye take. Hmm, how can I narrow this down even more?"_

_Claire shrugged and Jamie chuckled at her flippant reaction. "I ken ye are frustrated with me, but please have patience, I'm trying."_

_Claire shook her head and frowned, "Not frustrated."_

_Jamie's eyebrows shot to his hairline, "Lass, that was a difficult word, ye are doing so good."_

_Claire smiled proudly and waited to see how Jamie would figure out where she was staying._

_He furrowed his brow, thinking off all the little small towns that were between half an hour and an hour north of Inverness. Then his eyes lit up, "Is the town on a straight bit of coast, a bay, or is it on a peninsula?"  
_

_Claire furrowed her brow and Jamie put a finger to her lips, "I take it from the look of concentration that it is like the latter, tis a hard word to say, am I right?"_

_Claire's face relaxed as she nodded. Jamie smiled and kissed her on the nose, "There are only two peninsulas that are less than an hour from Inverness but more than half an hour. Hopefully, my next question will help to narrow it down to only two places."_

_Claire's eyes lit up as she waited. Jamie took a breath, "Is there a lighthouse on the coast?"_

_Claire furrowed her brow and shrugged, her answer wasn't helpful at all. "That answer seems as if ye are unsure. Have ye had time to go out and look around the town?"_

_Claire shook her head, "No."_

_Jamie sighed, "Have ye been in the place ye are staying long?"_

_Claire shook her head, "No."  
_

_Jamie nodded in understanding, "Is this yer first night there?"_

_Claire nodded, "Yes."_

_Jamie's shoulders slumped, "I think perhaps we willna figure this out tonight. But I need ye to do something for me when ye wake tomorrow. I need ye to try and look around the town, remember anything that might stand out, anything that will help us to narrow it down. Look for a lighthouse or even ask Elizabeth about it. I ken this takes a lot out of ye, but the sooner we can figure this out, the sooner we can be together and I can help ye to hone yer other skills."_

_Claire nodded and her face fell into a sad expression. Jamie leaned over and lifted her chin so she would look at him, "I ken, mo ghráidh, tis all I wish for as well, but together we can do anything. But I must let ye go now, ye need to get a bit of real sleep. When I make it back down to my car, I will make a list of all the possible towns ye could be in and if nothing else, I can name each town and ye can reply with a yes or no, aye?"_

_Claire nodded and leaned into his shoulder. Jamie stroked her arm as she relaxed, "Just close yer eyes and let sleep take ye, I will be here to guard yer dreams."_


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning Claire woke from the best night's sleep she had ever experienced. She stretched her limbs and smiled at the thought that she just might be able to tell Jamie more about the town near where she was staying when she went to sleep at night. She climbed out of bed, grabbed her fluffy purple robe from the back of the desk chair, and wrapped it tightly around herself before taking a seat. She still needed to focus some of her attention on her genealogy research as well as practice her skills. Though she longed to focus all of her attention on finding Jamie, she knew that if she didn't practice her gifts during the day, she would come to regret it. 

It was still quite early in the morning and the first golden rays of sunshine were beginning to peek through her curtains. She decided to dedicate an hour to her genealogy research, then go out for a jog into the small town nearby. She opened up her laptop and logged in, waiting for her browser to load to the last page she had opened the day before. She began researching the names and hints that popped up, paying most of her attention to the links suggested through her DNA matches.

She followed one branch of her family tree on her father's side and it was like being drawn into a wormhole. She still didn't have a name for her father, but she was able to figure out who some of her 2nd and 3rd times great grandparent's were on his side, due to the DNA database. The branch that she ended up following led her back to the year 810 A.D. to what was supposedly the first King of Scotland. His name was listed as Kenneth MacAlpine and if the DNA was correct, he had been the first in her family, of several Scottish Kings. She shook her head at the thought that she was a several times descendent of Scottish royalty and she wondered what it would be like to jump back to those time periods and see what kind of men, what kind of kings, her ancestors had been. 

She quickly jotted down a list of places and times to project to in the next few days. After some careful consideration, she realized that it would be safer to project with her opal first, to gauge the attitudes of the people and their acceptance of a foreigner before jumping to those times to experience those times for herself. 

Her thoughts drifted to Jamie and she wondered if he had done the same thing when he was learning about his special skills. The more she thought about him, the more she hoped he would want to visit those ancient ancestors with her. Perhaps they could pretend to be married so that she wasn't just a lone woman, traipsing about the countryside in search of people that didn't know her or have any reason to trust her.

As she was daydreaming about visit times of days gone by, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door. "Claire, I hope I'm not disturbing ye, I've made breakfast, it's on the table whenever yer ready."

Claire's eyes went round as she looked at the clock in the corner of her laptop screen and realized that she had been researching her ancestors for almost 3 hours already. "Thank you, Elizabeth, I'll be right out." She jumped up from her chair, closed her laptop, and hurried to put on some fresh clothes. She pulled a pair of acid washed skinny jeans over her lean legs and chose a plain black t-shirt as her top for the day. She quickly pulled a comb through her locks, before opening her bedroom door and padding out to the eat in kitchen to join Elizabeth at breakfast.

After eating her hearty breakfast, Claire excused herself, "Elizabeth, breakfast was lovely, but I'm going to excuse myself now and go for a run."

Elizabeth smiled ar her as she cleared the dishes from the table, "If ye have the time, ye should go down and take in the view from the lighthouse."

Claire's eyes lit up at the news of a lighthouse in town. She would be sure that her jog would take her right to it, she needed as much information as she could get about the town and how to find Elizabeth's house. The more information she had, the easier it would be for Jamie to find her, and then they could begin a real life together."

She returned to her bedroom, slipped some running shoes on, and grabbed a pocket sized notebook and pen from her camera bag. She would scope out the area today and perhaps return later in the evening with her camera if the views were anything like she hoped they would be. When Claire had everything ready, she returned to the kitchen to bid Elizabeth goodbye. When she stepped through the doorway, Elizabeth was at the sink, washing their breakfast dishes, so Claire cleared her throat in an attempt not to frighten the older lady. "Elizabeth, I am going to be off, could you tell me which direction to go so that I might find the lighthouse?"

Elizabeth turned and dried her hands on her apron, "Och, aye. But before ye head to the lighthouse, ye can go right to the beach from here. When ye walk down my driveway, ye will take a right and walk down a narrow path. When it opens up, ye will be at the beach, tis but two minutes from here. To reach the lighthouse, ye will stay on the road and keep the beach to yer right as ye go. When ye get into the main part of town, just keep going, ye will see the lighthouse in the distance. Tis not a tall lighthouse by any means, but ye canna miss it."

Claire nodded as she took a bottle of water from the refrigerator, "Thanks Elizabeth, I don't know how long I will be, but please don't worry about me. I will be back before nightfall."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled as she turned back to her chores, "Have fun, call if ye need anything."

Claire furrowed her brow, "But I don't have your phone number."

Elizabeth chuckled, "Of course, it clean went out of my head to give it to ye, here give me yer phone and I'll program it in."

Claire pulled her phone from her back pocket, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and passed it to Elizabeth. When she handed it back, Claire noticed that she had put her last name in and looked up at Elizabeth, "Your last name is MacKenzie?"

Elizabeth smiled, "Aye, tis."

Claire smiled to herself, she had one more clue to give Jamie. She left the house and followed Elizabeth's directions to find the beach after taking the small path just yards from her driveway. Once she reached the beach, she could see that the lighthouse was still quite some distance away, so instead of jogging all the way to the lighthouse, she decided to go at a leisurely stroll along the beach and see how far she got before it was time to turn back.

While she walked she kept her eye out for possible places she could jump from and not be seen by any possible people passing by. Luckily small towns in Scotland, like the one she found herself in, were surrounded by patches of thick forest, so jumping from one of them shouldn't be a problem, no matter what time of day she decided to jump. 

As she got further into town, she smiled at the authenticity of the place. If it hadn't been for cars parked along the streets, a person would think they had traveled back in time. The homes all looked as if they were those that were built when the town was founded at some distant time in the past. 

Before long Claire found herself traveling down what was likely one of the main streets of Cromarty and the people passing her seemed even friendlier in the small town than the people had been in Inverness or Glasgow. She realized that the reputation of the Scottish people was completely true, they were kind welcoming people, likely the most friendly people in the world. Claire's heart warmed at the thought that she had chosen to make Scotland her permanent home and she would soon call people such as these her friends and neighbors.

Eventually, she came close enough to the lighthouse that she could see it in the distance, but the rumbling of her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that morning, and walking on the beach for most of her walk had slowed her progress considerably. So instead of going straight to the lighthouse, she pulled out her phone to google local restaurants that were within her budget. Her search results came up with a small cafe that wasn't far from the lighthouse, so Claire made a quick detour and headed for the cafe. 

As Claire approached the small yellow building with the dark blue door, she smiled to herself. The cafe was the quintessential small town meeting place for the locals to enjoy their meals while people watching at the umbrella covered picnic tables that sat in front of the cafe. She strolled up to the door, climbed the few steps, and opened the door to step inside. A small bell above the door announced her arrival and a strapping young man stepped through a doorway that presumably led to the back and wiped his hands on a tea towel. "How can I help ye lass, what will ye be havin' today?"

Claire smiled brightly at the man's friendly demeanor, "I'm not exactly sure. I'm new in town and thought I would stop in for a bite, what do you recommend?"

The man smiled brightly at her, "Well, welcome to Cromarty and the Sutor Creek Cafe. Any of our wood fired pizzas would be a good choice but if yer in the mood for something a bit more filling, I would suggest our venison casserole with creamed potatoes and red cabbage."

Claire licked her lips, "While a wood fired pizza does sound delicious, the venison casserole is making my mouth water. I will take that and a glass of water, please."

The man behind the counter nodded, "I'll have that ready for ye soon. Please take a seat anywhere ye like."

Claire smiled at the man and found a seat in the corner. She pulled out her notebook and wrote down the name of the cafe and the dish she would be eating. She would rate the dish in her notebook later to remind herself to either have it again or to avoid it. But from the delicious aromas in the cafe, Claire had no doubt that the dish would melt in her mouth with every bite.

* * *

After enjoying her venison casserole, Claire left a generous tip then made her way to the lighthouse to check out the views that Elizabeth had raved about. Claire was taken aback when she arrived at the lighthouse and looked out into the bay. She never realized that she would see what appeared to be an off shore drilling rig in the waters off the coast of Scotland and it reminded her exactly why she needed to practice her skills. Her grandmother had told her repeatedly since she had learned of her skills, that she belonged in another time and the more time Claire spent exploring Scotland, the more she agreed with her grandmother.

She decided that she would return with her camera at a later time, and perhaps she would be able to get a glimpse of the aurora borealis over the water. She didn't really feel like walking all the way back to Elizabeth's cottage so as she strolled along, she looked for another possible location to jump from. She decided to go back down to the beach, remember a few locations that were visible from the sea, but were hidden from the houses with dense foliage. She picked up her pace and within 15 minutes she found an ideal location on the beach. There was a little trail that was surrounded by greenery and it would hide her from all directions. She entered the little pathway and looked around, the area was completely devoid of another living soul, so Claire thought of her bedroom at Elizabeth's home and reached up to grasp her pendant. A moment later she was standing in her bedroom and she could hear Elizabeth humming from the garden at the back of the house. She sighed in relief and went about removing her shoes and jacket and placing them in the closet. 

She decided that she had a bit more time to do some research, so she sat down at her computer and went through the ancestors she had discovered that morning. She was eager to find out where they had lived and died. After an hour or so of researching some of the kings, she realized that many of them had died in battles scattered around England and Scotland. Unfortunately, she didn't know the location of any of the battles mentioned, so she made a note in her notebook to find out what she could about them. 

When she looked at the time in the corner of her laptop screen, she realized that Elizabeth was likely already preparing dinner. So Claire closed her laptop and left her room to go to the kitchen. She wanted to help Elizabeth to prepare their meal as a way of thanking her for allowing her to stay in her home. 


End file.
